If you’re a member of the so-called “Sandwich Generation” – an adult who is caring for aging parents while still supporting their own children, or simply someone who needs to be involved in seeking care for elderly parents or grandparents, you know just how hard it is to make decisions with which you are comfortable. Or perhaps you’re a senior yourself, contemplating the best next step as you age or begin declining physically.
Choosing appropriate and safe care options for seniors, especially those who are ill, is a task that demands plenty of thought and research. Even then, we often continue to question the choices we’ve made, not sure whether or not they were the right ones for ourselves or our loved ones. These days, however, technology has taken some of the guess work out of making the right care choices.
Newer websites such as caregiverlist.com provide valuable resources for seniors and their caregivers, offering not only lists of options but also input from those who have “been there, done that”. Caregiverlist encourages individuals to share their caregiving experiences – good and bad – with those who may benefit from the information. Offering a plethora of facts about each option, including cost, the website gives both elderly individuals and caregivers the opportunity to not only plan for the present but also to properly plan ahead for challenges that are to come. In addition, the site brings together a team of experts from the senior care industry who can accurately answer the public’s most asked questions about elderly care.
Americans continue to live longer. Experts suggest that some 78 million Baby Boomers will live longer than previous generations, prompting an increased need for care assistance. Furthermore, many of them will eventually become ill, succumbing to diseases that include heart disease and all types of cancer. Many of them may be victims of occupational cancers, a result of lax workplace rules during their early years of employment.
A good example of this is the cancer known as mesothelioma. This aggressive form of the disease afflicts those who once worked with asbestos materials, which were used abundantly in workplaces until about 1980. Those most affected include Navy veterans and civilians who worked in shipyards or aboard ships, refinery workers, chemical plant employees, insulators, welders, auto mechanics, machinists, and a host of other professions. Though, for these individuals, exposure to asbestos occurred decades ago, because mesothelioma has a long latency period, many seniors are now being diagnosed with the disease as they reach their later years.
A disease like mesothelioma adds a substantial burden for seniors and their caregivers. Mesothelioma is extremely debilitating, causing severe breathing problems, chest pain, cough, and a host of other symptoms. Patients often decline quickly and death frequently comes within just a year of diagnosis. This often means quick care decisions for the patients and their loved ones. Haste makes it quite easy to make the wrong choices, making sites like caregiver.com even more essential as they can assist patients and their loved ones in making prompt but confident decisions about the care of mesothelioma victims and can also help caregivers connect with others who have found themselves in similar situations.