Elder Care

(Complete list of Elder Care PDF Files)

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded."
- Maya Angelou

As a caregiver, you try to strike a balance each day. You have to care for your loved one while keeping up with the demands of family and work. Your focus tends to be on the patient's needs. But it's also up to you to try to stay in tune with yourself. Remember the things you need to maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit. And if you can, try to find a quiet time for reflection each day. Meditating, praying, or just resting may help you keep a sense of peace at this time.

Whether good or bad, life-changing situations often give people the chance to grow, learn, and appreciate what's important to them. Many people who care for someone with cancer describe the experience as a personal journey. They say it has changed them forever. This is much like the way people with cancer describe their experience. It's not necessarily a journey that they would have chosen for themselves. But they can use their skills, strength, and talents to support their loved one while finding out more about themselves along the way.

Caregiver's Bill of Rights

I have the right to take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the ability to take better care of my loved one.

I have the right to seek help from others even though my loved one may object. I know the limits of my own endurance and strength.

I have the right to maintain parts of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can do for this person. I have the right to do some things just for myself.

I have the right to get angry, be depressed, and express difficult feelings once in a while.

I have the right to reject any attempt by my loved one to make me do things out of guilt or anger. (It doesn't matter if she knows that she is doing it or not.)

I have the right to get consideration, affection, forgiveness, and acceptance for what I do for my loved one, as I offer these in return.

I have the right to take pride in what I'm doing. And I have the right to applaud the courage it has taken to meet the needs of my loved one.

I have the right to protect my individuality. I also have the right to a life that will sustain me in times when my loved one no longer needs my full-time help.

(Author Unknown)

Elder care statistics:
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging:

The older population (persons 65 years or older) numbered more than 35 million, or one in eight, Americans in recent reports.
The number of older Americans increased by 12 percent since 1990, compared to a 13.3 percent increase for the under-65 population.
Today, persons who reach age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 17.9 years (19.2 years for women and 16.3 years for men) than what was estimated in 1900.
In 1900, the average life expectancy was 49.2 years. Today, it is 76.9 years.

A Complete List of our Available PDF Files

First, Be sure you have Acrobat Reader;

Get Acrobat Reader - Free

Help with PDF files

To view resources that are in PDF format, you need Adobe Acrobat on your computer. Most computers have this software. However, if you cannot open a PDF file, then your computer does not have Adobe Acrobat software. Click here to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.

To open a PDF file, double-click on the link. With some browsers, the file will immediately open up. With others, you will be asked if you wish to open the file, or save it to disk. Select save to disk if you wish to have a copy on your computer.

To print a PDF file, use your browser controls.

To move from page to page within one PDF file, use the PDF file controls, which are often in the bottom left side of the screen. You can also use the scroll bar on the right to move from page to page.

The List:

If you would like to see something specific on this site, let us know and we will look into your request. Contact us at the email address above.