What's Big News Today? You'd Be Surprised

Serving Seniors Blog: August 5, 2010

I’m amazed at what makes big news and what makes small news in the media. The BP oil spill , the oil spill in Kalamazoo are important issues, no doubt. Robberies, car accidents, the struggling economy, as well as the Primary elections are important too. But when I see a tiny, little article, filled with disturbing details about elder abuse, conveniently tucked away at the bottom of the newspaper, I don’t like it. It’s kind of like a problem that we want to go away. We minimize the situation so it’s not important. It’s big news to someone in my line of work, and these situations are bigger than life, especially for the elderly, the silent majority.

Sometimes I take for granted that families know that there is professional help available for their elderly parents and grandparents. This is what I do, and while I know all too well of the dynamics involved in getting families "on board", I’m still saddened when I hear about abusive situations with the elderly. These can all be avoided with the proper education and guidance from a licensed and certified Professional Geriatric Care Manager.

I read a terrible story about an 80-year old woman in the Boston area who lay for a month in a recliner soaked with her own waste and her toenails so long that they were curling back, cutting into her skin. Can you imagine how painful and miserable she was? Who would allow that to happen to an elderly person? If she could have removed herself from that situation, she would have. Iinstead, she was a prisoner in a recliner. She was suffering from deep bedsores and was in critical condition when the authorities had her admitted into a local hospital.

To make matters worse, she had developed a bacterial infection in her bloodstream. She was covered with bedsores--one so deep tendons could be seen through her decomposing skin. I read on to discover that the elderly woman’s own 49-year old daughter and her 51-year old husband were charged with permitting serious injury to an elderly or disabled person. Plus, three of the woman’s grandsons were aso charged in the case.

How did this happen? How didn’t anyone notice that this neglect was going on? Why did this elderly woman’s own family allow the situation to go on this long?

I don’t have the answers to this, but I know from experience that not knowing what to do or trying to do everything yourself can have extremely bad outcomes. Yes, having elderly parents has many challenges, but that’s no excuse for not seeking the proper care or professionals who can help.

A very real issue is convincing adult children that they need to seek professional help for their elderly parents. I’ve seen scenarios similar to this many times as a PCGM. It’s why I always stress repeatedly to families that if they really care about their parents or other elderly or impaired loved ones, they need to take the time to find someone else to do the caregiving if they cannot.

A certified, Professional Geriatric Care Manager (PCGM) can help people and families avoid helpless situations like this. Serving Seniors' professionals are trained in all areas of elder care. We offer you, your parents or grandparents the best care possible in any and all situations, even if you’ve tried to offer care and realize that you can’t do it alone.

Serving Seniors has been recognized as one of only 20 Fellow Certified Geriatric Care Managers in the USA as recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. When it comes to care for your parents, grandparents or loved ones, I would encourage all of you to locate the proper care. Do it for you, do it for them, and do it for your whole family.

I hope you find all of our posts helpful. Please feel free to share your own experiences, and we welcome your comments below. We value your input and so do our readers.

I appreciate your interest in Serving Seniors and our professional geriatric care management services.

Until the next time, enjoy the great summer weather and tell your elderly parents that you love them.

Thanks again,

Diane Hischke