Aging in America Conference

I am getting ready to leave for the Aging in America Conference this Saturday. It is 5 days of programs for those of us who work in the elder care field. I am especially excited to be attending a program sponsored by the Rosalyn Carter Center for Caregiving. I hope to have much to report on my return.
Today's Dad quote of the day: When encouraging my father-in-law to drink more water, he responded, "Why, is my stomach dry?"

Bills Target Long-Term Care Staff

I wanted to share some exciting news for those of us in eldercare. Two pending bills, one in the Congress and one in the Senate address the need to prepare for the aging population and the lack of geriatric prepared staff. The bill is titled the Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging American Act of 2009. It will ask for studies to look at the aging service network, ways to reduce turnover and improve staff retention in long-term care, and track the NIH's spending on illness affecting the elderly.
Provisions of the bill would create a Geriatric Career Incentive Award and expand the Geriatric Academic Career Awards. It also creates stipends for long-term care nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal or home health aides wanted to earn higher degrees or take classes in gerontology.
Please write your senator and representatives and ask them to vote for this important bill as part of the comprehensive health plan in the works.

Choices

Today's entry is a short one but hopefully a powerful one. Caregivers are faced with many choices everyday. The choice to be a caregiver, how to accomplish the tasks of caregiving, deal with issues and when to let go. No matter what choices you make, remember that they are the right choices for you. No one can fully understand what you are going through and the choices you make have to work for you and no one else.
Seek advice, read about others experiences, find support and pray but in the end the ultimate decision and choice is yours alone. Celebrate you choice and make it your own. Take it to heart and always tell yourself that it was the right choice even when it doesn't seem that way.