Senior Care Giver Stress Factors and Solutions

As the baby boomers ease into late middle age and retirement, there is a pressing issue that more and more of them are encountering - taking care of their parents. Once on the receiving end of care growing up, baby boomers are now becoming the caregivers to their parents. Of course, there are even times when you become the caregiver to your spouse as well.

It doesn't matter whether you are caring for your spouse or your parents; seniors serving as caregivers are struggling. Instead of living a retirement full of hobbies and travel, you are now providing caregiver duties. Yes, it is all in the name of love and duty to your family; however, after a while the caregiver job becomes quite stressful. You need a few strategies in place so that you can learn to deal with the stress and not have the need for a caregiver yourself!

Stress-Busting Strategies to Get You Through

The best defense is a good offense. If possible, talk with your spouse or elderly parents and decide what the game plan will be in certain scenarios. Agree on when professional help should be called in and when it is appropriate to ask for other assistance. Unfortunately, not all people do this which leaves the need for these stress-busting strategies:

1. Know your limitations and accept them. You are not a superhero and not everything can be handled on your own. Don't be afraid to ask other family members nearby for assistance. Be forceful, if you have to.

You might also want to talk with the doctor and insurance company to see what options you and your elderly parents have. Many times there are social workers with the city and state that can help you get the assistance you need.

2. Allow your elderly parents or spouse to have a say in the care giving plans. The greatest fear for older adults is the loss of independence, not being able to do what they want, when they want it. While it may be frustrating, there has to be a compromise in care giving.

3. Keep a diary of all the happenings during your stint as care giver. Relying on memory does not always help when you need to make sure that all the information is intact. You never know when you may have to meet with a lawyer to determine your parents' ability to make their own decisions.

4. Be proactive on care giving duties as well as keeping their spirits up. When other people are happy and engaged, that tends to bright up the moods of others in the room. Being positive is important.

5. Take time for yourself; you are no good to your parents or spouse as a care giver if you run yourself ragged, not getting enough sleep or down time. Call for help from a friend, neighbor or family member and then go take a break somewhere else. It's ok to cry and let out your frustrations. Exercise is the best therapy as the endorphins pumping naturally brightens your mood.

Retirement Planning for where you Will Live

There are many things that people plan for when planning their retirement. They plan for the travel they wish to do, to have money for gifts for the grandchildren they hope to have, and all kinds of wise and practical thing. In the process, however, many people neglect to plan for where they wish to live upon retirement. We are seeing a growing trend of retirees moving to certain communities. This is all well and good. It's nice to be around people of similar ages and interests and live in communities that cater to those interests. However, one thing is often overlooked during the process. The prices in these communities, and the average cost of living are quite likely to be different than the cost of living where you are. This is true unless you plan to retire where you live.

The fact is that there is a growing trend among retirees to migrate to certain population centers. The entire coastal region of Florida would almost qualify though not all communities in this area are equal when it comes to being retiree friendly. The problem is that most people who retire live on limited budgets and can't afford the high dollar real estate that is part and parcel for these areas. One solution to that is to decide where you'd like to retire and buy real estate in that area early.

There are all kinds of housing communities being built around the nation as we speak. In addition to these communities high rise towers and condominiums are being built to cater not only to time-share renters but also retiring baby boomers that are moving into these areas. The earlier you buy the better, as property values do tend to increase gradually over time. There are trends and twists and turns but for the most part, property will gain in value given enough time in which to do so. The good news in these 'time share' and popular destination areas is that you can own the property and rent it out for a little extra income while you are biding your time waiting for retirement.

Once you've purchased a property in the area you can make the rounds and get a good comparison for the value of goods and services in the area compared with what you are accustomed to. You can add the difference in your calculations for what you will need when making your retirement plans. Failing to do this can result in some very sad situations many retired people find themselves in. These could include living in sub standard and unsafe housing and not having enough money left after paying the rent to cover the cost of food and medication much less other needs that may be encountered.

You should also make sure that you add the little cushion of money into your planning so that you can occasionally through caution to the wind and do something fun. After all, what good is it to be retired if you can never afford to live it up a little? Make sure you have enough money set aside to take that cruise every spring or fly up to see the grandkids two or three times a year. You want to make sure that you can enjoy your retirement or you will find endless days of staring at the television. What fun is that?

The costs of living in this country from one region to the next can be significantly different. If you do not consider where you will be living upon retirement when calculating the numbers you are doing yourself a great disservice. This is definitely something you will want to discuss with your financial planner before it is too late to make the changes that will affect your future and retirement needs. It is good to have dreams of where you'd like to retire but it is even better to take the steps necessary to make your retirement dreams a reality.