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F3 terrific online resources

for seniors and family caregiversMaking decisions about senior care can be difficult, but finding help is easy

NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL 15

B Y J U L I E A N N A N D E R S O NH O M E I N S T E A D S E N I O R C A R E O F S O N O M A C O U N T Y

For anyone who has started research-ing the various options for senior living or for providing care for an elderly loved one, you know that it can be overwhelm-ing at times. �at’s why Home Instead Senior Care has created three websites to help you get the resources you need, from living and care options, to activities that strengthen the senior’s mind, body and soul, to help for the family caregiver.

StagesOfSeniorCare.com: The emotion-charged process of providing care for your aging parents has (grate-fully) become more complex over the past 20 years. What used to be a decision between choosing between family care at home and a nursing home is now a maze of bewildering op-tions and alternatives for the uninformed.

�is website is a practi-cal resource for senior liv-ing and care options such as non-medical home care, assisted living, even hos-pice and financing care. Each chapter will walk you through the options, the pros and cons of each, what to look for and avoid, plus how to deal with complica-tions such as family conflict and caregiver stress that are almost certain to occur.

Stages also includes checklists and diagnostic tools designed to help fami-lies make good, life-affecting decisions while confidently planning the best care for those they love most. �is website is based on the book, Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions, written by Paul and Lori Hogan.

GetMomMoving.com: It’s easy to look on aging with fear; there’s plenty at stake. Mom worries about falling in her home – maybe breaking a hip – and losing her independence. Of course you worry, too.

Both of you know that growing frailty and loss of independence can be the beginning of a down-ward spiral. While staying physically active may be a challenge for seniors, getting Mom (and Dad) moving can help prevent and even reverse signs of frailty.

�is website addresses the warning signs and fears of aging with simple and practical suggestions for keep-ing the mind, body and soul active such as a puzzle a day, walking strong or movie matinee. �e site even provides a printable activities calendar and booklet that anyone who is organizing these types of activities for seniors will love.

CaregiverStress.com: �is is truly an educational website particularly for

family members who are responsible for taking care of an aging loved one.

With more than 15 educational videos and even more downloadable resources, CaregiverStress.com provides practical help on topics such as long-distance caregiving, patient-doctor communi-cation, aging parent care and selecting an in-home care provider.

In the helpful tips section, you can find articles on a variety of subjects such as spousal caregiving, understand-

ing dementia, eldercare planning and senior safety.

And there’s even a video that reminds us that often laughter is the very best medicine – the video has garnered more than 3.5 million views on YouTube, and we encourage you to share it with your Facebook friends.

One of the many challenges of being a family caregiver is that you often don’t know what information you need until you need it. Our office receives plenty of those panic calls in which a family member is in charge of making a deci-sion about a change in senior care within 24-48 hours.

While we are fully equipped to help them in that situation, it is always bet-ter to plan ahead and to know what resources are out there before you need them. �ese websites help both the ag-ing adult as well as caregiving family members to improve communication about aging and care issues so that when the need arises, they can together make the right decisions.

Once you’ve done your research, talking to someone familiar with the senior living and care options in your local area is the next step. We’ve been serving Sonoma County seniors and their families with both care and advice for more than 12 years, and we’d be

happy to help you find the best option for senior living and home care. Simply call Home Instead Senior Care

of Sonoma County at 707-586-1516. Or visit us on the web at http://homein-stead.com/sonoma. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter, too. ■

Business Journal Reprint from November 8, 2010 / Page 15

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE NOVEMBER 8, 2010