The Big Role of Grandparents
A New Met Life Life Study, conducted in partnership with Generations United entitled Grandparents Investing in Grandchildren: The MetLife Study on How Grandparents Share Their Time, Values, and Money, provides a hint of the contributions grandparents make to the lives of their grandchildren in passing down important values as well as providing care and financial assistance.
åÊåÊ of those households include grandchildren.
åÊåÊ one grandchild. Of those, 32% are providing care five or more days per week.
åÊåÊ honesty (88%), good behavior (82%), self-sufficiency (70%), higher education
åÊåÊ (69%), and good health habits (68%).
åÊåÊ gifts for grandchildren within the past five years. The total average amount provided
åÊåÊ over the past five years among this group for all grandchildren was $8,289 total,
åÊåÊ with more than half having given up to $5,000.
Positive Thinking Can Promote Healing
Maintaining a positive outlook can play an important role in helping to live a happier, healthier and longer life. That is particularly important if you are facing a serious illness such as a cancer diagnosis.
As people age, it often takes more effort to engage in physical and/or social activities. Yet those who participate in physical activities are not only supporting good physical health, but also good mental health as well.
Additionally, when people join group activities, they build important social relationships that help them to feel connected and happier. Engaging in desired activities with others and staying active into the later years is an important part of aging well and staying healthy.
People who have active minds and a positive outlook tend to live longer. Some people are just naturally more optimistic while others have to work harder to respond positively to situations.
Finding the positive in life situations can go a long way to support health and wellness. Even in the face of illness, positive thinking can have a significant effect on the body.
While nothing can fully prepare someone for a medical diagnosis such as cancer, working to stay positive is very important while undergoing treatment. Even with a diagnosis of mesothelioma, patients who try hard to maintain a positive attitude are better equipped to fight the disease. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is actually extremely prevalent in senior citizens, so when a diagnosis of a cancer like this arises in life; how is someone mentally and physically supposed to deal with such grim news?
Eating a healthy diet and getting proper exercise are an important part of aging well and combating illness and disease such as cancer. Along with these healthy lifestyle habits, making a conscious effort to maintain a positive attitude is a significant part of healthy aging.
Learning to have a positive mental attitude can help to maintain a healthy energy level and mood. Thinking positively also can improve stress management and coping skills, and can increase confidence to provide the courage necessary to overcome obstacles.
Regardless of the situation, those who are driven to keep moving forward and strive to maintain a positive attitude will generally have the best odds when working through personal struggles including illness. Being surrounded by vibrant people provides the support and motivation along the way. Staying connected to others and engaging in enjoyable activities adds to a happy life through the years and helps when coping with difficult situations faced on life’s journey.
Just because you may not be able to stay active like you once were in your youthful years, don’t get discouraged. Healthy living resides truly in the mind; a healthy mind creates a healthy person.
Don’t let anything take away from your happiness, even something as alarming as cancer. As we age, one of the main things we have to look forward to is our happiness. Grow in light, positivity and hope that the future will always remain bright with love.
Two Thirds of Medicare Spent on Managing Multiple Chronic Conditions (VIDEO)
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As Older Population Far Outnumber Younger Sacrifice is in Order – Will You? (VIDEO)
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Caregivers Manging Multiple Chronic Conditions; NCOA Can Help
The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) and the United Hospital Fund (UHF) recently released a new report that finds 46 percent of family caregivers perform medical and nursing tasks for care recipients with multiple chronic physical and cognitive conditions. The report, “Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care,” explores the complexity of tasks that caregivers provide.
The PPI and UHF report is based on a national survey of 1,677 family caregivers who were asked about the medical and nursing tasks they perform. Of the 46 percent of family caregivers performing medical and nursing tasks, three out of four provided medication management ÛÒ including administering IVs and injections ÛÒ for a loved one. Further, more than a third of these caregivers providing medical and nursing tasks reported doing wound care. Other tasks included operating specialized medical equipment and monitors.
Interestingly on the same day I received this notice, the National Council on Aging sent information on how to obtain assistance in managing multiple chronic conditions.
Their Center for Healthy Aging will provide technical support to 22 states that have received more than $8.5 million to educate older adults on how to live better with chronic conditions. The new federal grants will help 87,000 seniors access evidence-based self-management programs to help them manage arthritis, diabetes, chronic pain, and more.
Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator of the Administration for Community Living Kathy Greenlee said, ÛÏWe know these programs work. These funds help empower individuals so they can take better care of themselves, feel better, and perhaps avoid extra doctor visits and trips to the emergency room.Û
These grants will help more people access tailored workshops to help them manage their conditions and help states embed the programs into their public health and wellness infrastructures.
Two-thirds of Medicare spending is for beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions.
The new grants build on the Recovery ActÛªs Chronic Disease Self-Management Program grants awarded in March 2010, which had an initial goal of reaching 50,000 older adults. As of August 28, 2012, 47 of those first-round states had reached 111,272 seniors.
The 22 states awarded the competitive cooperative agreements are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The funding will support a variety of programs, all evidence-based and licensed from the Stanford University Patient Education Research Center. The Stanford programs emphasize the individualÛªs role in managing their health and improving their quality of life. The grants will also support evidence-based self-management programs for people with diabetes, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, and chronic pain, including internet-based courses and programs specifically developed for Spanish-speaking adults with chronic conditions.
To learn more about the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, go to http://patienteducation.stanford.edu/programs/.
To find workshops, visit the NCOA Center for Healthy Aging at http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy-aging/chronic-disease-1.html.
As the holidays approach, many new caregivers will be born as typically visits home to mom and dad are when you start to notice that living conditions and health conditions might have changed, particularly if you only visit occasionally. Take a breath. And know that there are support mechanisms out there for you.åÊ
Check out this article I wrote for about.com on family visits.
