Paul Hogan, co-founder and chairman of Home Instead Senior Care, is vice chairman of the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on the Ageing Society. He recently presented a new report on the challenges and opportunities associated with a rapidly aging global population. Aging Today spoke with Hogan about his perspectives on global aging and caregiving, the services his company provides and his role at the WEF.
Question: I am a mother of two young boys, aged 7 and 11. My mom has Alzheimer’s disease and my father is her primary caregiver. We live down the street from my parents. I also have two sisters that live in the same small town. I don’t get to visit my mom as much as I would like because she is a smoker and, since her disease has progressed, she is now smoking in the house. I can’t tolerate the smoke-filled house and my kids get sinus infections when we do visit.
My husband just completed his master’s degree and has been offered a job that would move us to a destination eight hours away by airplane. I’m trying to decide if I can deal with being so far away from my mom. Even though I only visit once a week, I am here to help my dad when he needs it. If you can you offer me any advice on this matter I will be very appreciative. Thank you.
Dr. Amy: One of the hardest things about your situation—and elder care planning in general—is that our decisions can affect the entire family and not just the person who needs care. Long distance caregiving can be a challenge. You can manage it, but there are many things to consider. Here are a few:
If cost is not an obstacle, a geriatric care manager could sit down with you and your sisters and help you map out a plan. Whatever choice you make will have its pros and cons. Your challenge will be to figure out what you can live with and how best to minimize the downsides.
The National Institute on Aging has developed a helpful workbook about long distance caregiving, which I think you will find helpful. You can download a copy from http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/so-far-away-twenty-questions-and-answers-about-long-distance-caregiving-0. Good luck!
You’ll lose weight.
Why: In a 2010 study of adults aged 55 to 75, drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals was associated with almost four pounds more weight loss in 12 weeks than in a control group who ate a similar diet but didn’t have the pre-meal H20. Participants drank an average of 1.5 cups of water a day before the study.
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Q. My 80-year-old father lives alone and still smokes. He also has always been fascinated with candles and burns them quite frequently. I’m concerned about a fire hazard in my dad’s house because he isn’t always careful about putting out his cigarettes or candles. My husband installed a smoke alarm for him, but he’s hard of hearing so I know he’d have trouble being alerted to a fire.
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