The Sandwich Generation . . . Helping Your Aging Parents
by Carol Abaya, M.A.
for release June 30, 2000
Are you juggling doing errands for your aging parents, your children, yourself and working at the same time? Are you tired, stressed out and upset that your once vibrant parent is now frail and needy?
Do you feel alone? Rest assured you are not alone! The Sandwich Generation is dedicated to the 50 million Americans who may have elder/parent care concerns and/or responsibilities.
The Importance Of Water
Question All of a sudden, my mother, 86, has become very weak. The doctor says there's nothing wrong with her, that she's just old. If there's nothing wrong with her, why is she so weak?
Answer I'M not a doctor. But first I suggest you get another doctor - a board certified geriatric physician.
There are also a couple of things you should look at to see if she has changed, in particular, her eating habits. More importantly, her drinking habits. (I'm not talking about liquor.)
Dehydration is one of the top reasons elderly people end up in the emergency room. When the body becomes dehydrated, its ability to perform vital functions decrease. People can live for weeks without food as the body uses up what's been stored. But lack of water/liquids hastens physical decline - and can result in death.
Another area to evaluate is medications. Loss of appetite is common when certain medicines are taken. So, take a close look at this.
Discuss both with a new doctor.
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Question My father, 78, is not on any medication but has become quite irritable and confused. A checkup shows no problems. Need advice.
Answer As with the first reader, your father's problem may be dehydration. This problem is often overlooked or considered unimportant.
Dehydration can create cognitive problems including restlessness, hallucinations, irritability, impaired decision making, depression, and difficulty with verbal communication.
Consult a geriatric physician, and encourage your father to drink more liquids. Drinking is very important as the weather becomes hotter.
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Question It's still not very hot out, but my parents, (80's) seem very lethargic and mentally confused. This happened last summer, and then come September they perked up. They refuse to go to the doctor.
Answer A nurse practitioner recently told me that as you get older and elderly that sweat glands and taste buds aren't as sensitive. As a result, one doesn't perspire as much or drink enough liquids. Heat builds up in the body and causes heat stroke. You don't need to be out in the sun to have heat stroke.
Your parents need to drink more liquids, especially water and keep cooler.
The bedroom and family or living rooms should be air conditioned.
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Question My mother, 81, stopped cooking for herself about six months ago and buys precooked food, salads and deli meats from the supermarket. Recently she's been complaining about feeling dizzy. She refuses to see a doctor.
Answer She should see a doctor, especially to check out her blood pressure or to determine whether she's had a mini-stroke.
She may be dizzy because of the high amount of salt used in all precooked fresh foods as well as frozen meals. High salt intake can impact blood pressure, which then might be the cause of the dizziness.
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Do you have a question? Send it in. Although letters cannot be answered individually, appropriate letters will be answered in this column whenever possible. Letters may be edited. Send letters to Ms. Carol Abaya, c/o Name\Address of YOUR newspaper (or mail direct to her at PO Box 132,Wickatunk, NJ 07765-0132) or e-mail her at SandwchGen@aol.com.
Carol Abaya is an international-award-winning journalist and creator of the unique magazine The Sandwich Generation: You & Your Aging Parents.
NOTES TO EDITORS: text = 475 words; other material = 160 words
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