I am really passionate about changing how Aged Care is seen by our community. It isn’t a drudgery or job that has to be done no matter what. Aged Care is a necessity and an honour – giving back to our aged loved ones as they have always given to us. Yes it is an honour.
This week it gave me great pleasure to give a talk to the South Canberra Rotary Club.
I love going out into the community and talking about Aged Care with Ease (ACE).
I love sharing our story to ease the transition to aged care for all families.
There is so much we learnt (the hard way) on our journey and if we can help others to ease their journey then it is well worth it.
I wish somebody had been there to share their experiences with us when we embarked on our aged care journey.
The following is a copy of the information I provided for the people attending the talk last night.
How you manage change is very important and will set the scene for a smoother transition.
Change……
Change affects us all each of us every day and as we get older it is often harder to adjust to change.
What are your change handling mechanisms? Do you think your aged loved ones cope well with Change? What can you do to help them cope?
My favourite quote is:
Be the change you want to see in the world
You don’t know what you don’t know.
If tomorrow things change could you cope? Could your aged loved ones cope?
Tips for dealing with change:
Know what is going on in your aged loved ones lives – no surprises
It is never too early to start discussing possible plans for the future. This way there are no surprises and you get to know what your aged loved one wants.
Open and honest communication – let everyone know what is going on.
Have two power of attorneys – we didn’t and it was really tough.
Aged Care with Ease (ACE)
ACE has been established by a couple of sisters who have been through the transition of moving their father to aged care and that want to help you to understand and deal with the emotions of aged care.
Are you facing the tough decision of putting a loved one in aged care – how do you deal with it, how do they deal with it?
Roles have changed – the carer is being cared for by the cared. By sharing our experiences with you and providing suggestions on how to deal with particular situations we can help you and your entire family ease the transition to aged care.
Aged care is a minefield of emotions that saps the energy out of everyone not just your aged loved one. It affects everyone. There is a lot of advice about what type of care and how to pay for it but we found there is very little professional advice or help with the emotions of moving your loved one to care.
The information we have put together for you is what we wish somebody had told us before we moved our father into aged care to ease our transition.
The ACE Method
The ACE Method is delivered exclusively via a Membership website that incorporates information we wish somebody had told us.
20 information sheets.
6 Checklists.
Medical background diary.
Resources page.
Links page.
Plus much more.
