When is a granddog not really a granddog? When it's the dog (or other pet) of a senior parent in your Sandwich Generation family, requiring care when the senior parent is ill – at home or in the hospital. Since they require my care, I just call them all my granddogs.

The cute little dogs love to be near their elderly owners but may be too exuberant, especially if it is a younger pup. And lest you think most seniors will only have older pups, not so. One of my dear senior friends lost her beloved dog a year or so ago. Recently, an opportunity came up for a new dog – a puppy – and she grabbed it. They're doing fine right now, but what if she were to get ill? 

I was helping a younger family member recently with her puppy, as she recuperated from a nasty flu bug. For a few days, she was so weak it was very difficult for her to hold her sweet, enthusiastic puppy. He is very wonderfully crate-trained in his roomy, yet cozy dog crate from PetSmart…

…but we wanted to keep that separate from a play area for her puppy. Together, we came up with some good solutions that I realized could help our aging parents as well. 

1. Dog / baby gates for the home. This gave her puppy the freedom to move around the house but it also gave us the ability to limit his freedom to protect her. Her dog is growing though, so we discovered that there are dog gates and extra TALL dog gates. Very handy, I must say. PetSmart and Walmart were great resources – both in the pet section and in the baby section.

If we had needed to be able to go through that door opening more easily, we could have bought a walk-through pet gate that has a "door" that swings open. Check it carefully, though, if you prefer that type. Some are easier to open than others. That's especially important when caring for elderly parents! If I have a hard time opening a gate, i know my senior parents will have a harder time!

2. Dog exercise pens. Even with the gates up, the puppy was still moping a bit for his new owner, and the new owner was moping for her puppy. But when she would lay on the couch, the exuberant puppy would bound over and try to jump on his "mommy" or want to "teethe" on her. Of course, she is working carefully to train the pup NOT to do these actions, but when you are sick, and granddog is young, that can be a bit difficult. For the time being, we opted for an extra help in the situation.

We found a flexible and tall dog exercise pen with a door that her sweet pup can play in safely. Then we placed it right next to her on the couch so she can pet her dog without the pup jumping all over her. It's not a perfect solution. He is a puppy and he is still in the teething stage, but it has helped quite a bit. He doesn't love it the way he does his crate but he is doing better in it every day.

For those of us who are dealing with both granddogs AND very young grandkids, we would probably prefer something like this gate – a Superyard XT.

It works equally well for a cute granddog OR an adorable young grandchild. It doesn't have the door that opens but it's very lightweight, also quite flexible, and can even be used to block off areas by separating the ends to make it straight. We've used it in the house, out of the house, and even in front of a garden to block off a dangerous area from the grandkiddies. In fact, I noticed today that we may have to get one for the granddog for the same reason – as there are electric wires too easily accessible to a pup who is in the chewing stage! Very handy, and you can even buy extensions to make it slightly larger – or just buy two and make it double large. 

Both the dog / baby gates for the home and the dog exercise pens were a big help for the immediate illness AND have gone on to be a big help in other situations. We especially appreciate the fact that either of the dog exercise pen options can be easily configured in a wide variety of shapes or folded up to pop into the back of a car or truck and take with you when traveling.

One nice thing about the Sandwich Generation is that many of the solutions to one set of issues, such as granny nanny tools like the gate Superyard XT, come in quite handy for other needs including babysitting a granddog at your own home if an elderly parent has to be hospitalized.

Kaye

Doesn't that look cool and refreshing for a hot summer day! Summer time is full of fun moments like this. Unfortunately problems can also lurk in the sweet heat.  Dehydration in the elderly was a topic on Twitter recently when I tweeted an article by in-law suite.com, Elderly Dehydration: Signs, Symptoms, and Prevention. With summer heat already upon many of us, it seemed like the perfect topic for a Twitter Tuesday to help all of us in the Sandwich Generation dealing with the many issues of caring for elderly parents. Particularly since it's not just an area of concern for our aging parents. It's important for us to watch for signs of dehydration in young grand children as well. 

Notice what Medline has to say about dehydration in the elderly AND in children: 

"Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both. Vomiting and diarrhea are common causes.

Having nursed my share of kids, grandkids, and senior parents, I definitely know to watch for it during a bout with a tummy bug or a severe sore throat. It's vital for us to keep tabs on them for this during the hot summer months as well. 

According to the CDC, "Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink water; the human body needs fluids on a regular basis. An adult should drink about two liters of water each day (that's about eight, 8-ounce glasses) to stay hydrated. In extreme temperatures, two to four 8-ounce glasses of fluid an hour will help keep you hydrated and decrease the risks for heat exhaustion or heat stroke."

I know that's an area I have to help my senior mom with – reminding her to drink more water more often. And it's not just drinking in general but what you drink as well. As the CDC puts it, "AVOID beverages with alcohol and drinks high in sugar since they don't fight dehydration and can make symptoms worse. Stay away from caffeinated and carbonated beverages when you feel thirsty. Sports drinks may be appropriate when you're physically active but remember that they have high levels of sugar, salt, and potassium."

Whenever we head out for the day, whether I have the grandkids, my senor mom, or even just myself, I always make sure to bring extra water with us. I routinely keep Nestle's Pure Life water bottles in the back of the car as a precaution. I also have several re-fillable water containers with big mouths so I can add ice as well as water. 

All in all, this is good information for all of us in the Sandwich Generation, including those of us in the fighting-aging Baby Boomers Generation. If we stay on top of it so that it never becomes an issue, it's one less problem for us to have to deal with later. And that's especially important when we're involved in any of our favorite summer activities for grandparents and their grandchildren, such as a fun, hot and heavy game of tennis with the grandkids not to mention Bocce with the seniors. :)

Have you broken any bones lately? As a member of the Sandwich Generation dealing with the issues of caring for elderly parents and helping with grandkids, we also need to ask, have any of our aging parents broken any bones recently? That thought has been on my mind a lot the past two weeks since I have! As you may have read, I am recuperating from a 5th metatarsal fracture to my right foot. Interestingly enough, I discovered that this type of fracture is fairly common, so I don't think my age or bones necessarily play into that. 

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, "Nearly one-fourth of all the bones in your body are in your feet, which provide you with both support and movement." When you consider that you use your feet the most, it's actually a miracle we don't all break bones more often!

After doing a bit of research, I discovered a very useful government website, Medline Plus, published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, where you can find a wealth of wonderful information and links, all about osteoporosis including, natural osteoporosis treatment, exercises, diet, vitamins, etc. There they write:

"Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break (hmmm, I guess that could include a 5th metatarsal fracture). Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Risk factors include:

• Getting older (guess that includes all of us in the hate-to-admit-we-are-aging baby boomers generation, as well as our senior parents!)
• Being small and thin
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Taking certain medicines
• Being a white or Asian woman
• Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health. To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise and do not smoke. If needed, medicines can also help."

Hmmmm, guess those of us over 50 who break a bone should be asking our doctor about this possibility.  Be sure, if you do, to first check with your insurance company (or that of your senior parents ). Some insurance policies do cover the test to see if you have Osteoporosis, which is great! 

Next week, I'll be writing more on this topic. And, as always, we'd love to hear your comments, ideas, and stories if y'all are dealing with osteoporosis for yourselves or your elderly parents, not to mention anyone keeping me company with broken bones.

P.S. You'll note that exercise is included on that list. Osteoporosis exercises for older women (and men) should include weight-bearing exercises. Skeletal Fitness by Mirabai Holland is an informative osteoporosis prevention bone loading and strength training exercise DVD. As they put it, it's "a workout for bones." It sounds like an excellent resource, doesn't it? If you are interested in checking it out, just click here. And if you or your senior parent prefers a written guide, here is one, Osteoporosis: An Exercise Guide. I'm ordering that as well, for my senior mom and myself. I'll be reviewing it for you in the next few weeks along with two others I've ordered so keep checking back.

YouTube is a great resource for many, including those of us in the Sandwich Generation who can use encouragement from praise and worship music, or fun Bible song additions to activities for grandparents and their grandchildren. It can also be an excellent source of laughter, going well with Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart does good like medicine." Here are some fun videos to put a smile on the face of our senior parents, our grandchildren, and ourselves. 

The first two are performed by Hilton Griswold. I had never heard of Hilton Griswold before, but I've since discovered he's a very talented senior musician who really loves God! He used to sing for the Blackwood Brothers and for VCYAmerica. Here's an extra Sandwich Generation connection. I asked my mother-in-law if she had ever heard of any of them, as her mom was always involved in Gospel "sings." She wrote me, "The Blackwood Brothers were at one of the gospel song fests that used to be held near us every year. Your oldest daughter accompanied mom, a friend, and I to the last one held in our area." Very cool piece of family history, with three of our four generations attending that, I must say.

Here he is reciting a very cute poem most seniors can relate to – for that matter, I, as a member of the never-aging Baby Boomers Generation, can also relate to it – especially in regards to the senior discounts!

This is one the great-grandparents and your grandkids can enjoy together, the Senior version of "Jesus Loves Me."

And last, but not least, one of the Bill Gaither and Mark Lowry videos, featuring some of the Gaither singers with a Christian comedian I got to see in person with my mother-in-law. And believe me, that church building was laughing their heads off, from senior citizens on down to young grandkids! I played it for my oldest grandchild and her friend and they both enjoyed it, even if a few of the jokes were a bit over their heads. One caveat you need to know, Mark Lowry and Bill Gaither have a regular "routine" together. Reminds me a bit of the Smother's Brothers (that's the Baby Boomers Generation analogy. For the seniors – how about Abbot and Costello. ). It's all in fun and all funny!

These were fun to find and fun to watch. I hope your Sandwich Generation family – from your elderly parents on down to your young grandkids – wlll enjoy them as well. 

P.S. If you'd like more humorous "medicine" for your Sandwich Generation family, check out and . They're sure to tickle your funny bones!

As we well know, the Sandwich Generation is growing. Not only that! According to the Christian Broadcasting Network's interesting news video/article for boomers and seniors, Are You Caught in the 'Sandwich Generation," the Baby Boomer Generation is right in the heart of it all – something we had thought as well.

The video also includes an interview with Carol Abaya, one of the pioneer writers for the Sandwich Generation and its issues. She originally coined the phrase, Club Sandwich, which she describes in this video as, "more on a person's plate.  The adult children are caring not only for their aging parents, but also their grandparents, as well as their own kids." Or in my case, the generations go down instead of up – elderly parents and grandkids! 

I thought the advice to have all the legal paperwork completed was excellent. That will make everyone's life so much easier! I don't necessarily agree with the suggestion to never have the older parents move in with you, obviously, as that is exactly what I did. I understand it can be challenging, but it can also be a blessing. And in this economy, it is definitely a money saver!

If your elderly parents do move in with you, or vice versa, you certainly need to make sure everyone has their "own space." That's been a big help to me.  Due to family needs in the last 10 years, my senior mom and I have lived in five different homes – from 2400 square feet houses down to 1100 square feet apartments. We've done ok in all the places, but the bigger houses were much easier for our Sandwich Generation issues - especially when the grandkids came over. In fact, when we were in the apartment, we set a limit of one grandkid per overnighter.  I just went to their house if I needed to watch more grandkids. I also work hard to make sure great-grandma gets plenty of visit time as well, but for shorter time periods, which works better for her needs. 

What about you? How are you dealing with the Sandwich Generation issues? Are you all in one house, long distance, or a combination, like me? How did you like the video? We'd love to hear from you!

Kaye

Thanksgiving is Thursday, followed by Black Friday. Fun times for all on both days   After that, come two of my very favorite celebrations, Advent and Christmas. As a matter of fact, the first Sunday of Advent is this coming Sunday, November 29.  If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage you to purchase at least five candles – four red and one white. Even if you only see your grandkids once or twice through the season they, along with your senior parents, will enjoy an Advent wreath so much. It can also be a blessing to do your own personal devotions using them, whether just on Sundays or every night. And if you get the grandkids more often, this is such a grand way of teaching them about the true meaning of Christmas.

Starting next week, SandwichINK is joining in with Troc, Brock, and Recup by featuring a four week series of Advent ideas for Sandwich Generation Senior Care Givers and Grandparents. You’ll find Advent ideas here as well as at several other sites that will be a part of this fun series, giving you a great way to get in the mood and discover plenty of fun, interesting, and new ideas for celebrating the Advent and Christmas season with your multi-generational family.

The participants of this Advent series are from countries all around the world and are all ages including other Sandwich Generation-ers. I’m looking forward to learning new ways to prepare for Christmas from all over the world, as well as sharing some of my favorites as well. Join us, won’t you, as we have fun preparing our hearts for Advent, while teaching our grandkids the joy of doing the same.

What do you do when an aging parent is ill? Obviously, if it is something major, you would call 911 or head for the hospital. For less serious, but still misery-inducing, illnesses like a nasty head cold or a tummy upset, there are plenty of ways to help and encourage them, whether you live near or far away.

Up close and personal senior home care:

• If your schedule allows, ask if they’d like you to spend a day or two with them at their house. Then you can easily keep up with the dishes, empty their tissue-filled wastebaskets, and help them in a myriad of little ways, just as they did for us when we were young.
• Make sure they have a good supply of foods they like to eat when they are sick. Also, check on whether they need more over the counter medicines as well as refills of any of their prescriptions. Humidifiers, vaporizers, or thermometers might be needed as well.
• Aging parents often put off going to the doctor, even when they should go. Keep a close eye on their symptoms and make sure they go in if it is needed.
• If they are feeling really crummy, it might cheer them up to receive a lovely bouquet of flowers. You might also bring some books, crossword puzzles, magazines, or a new DVD to cheer them up.

If your beloved senior lives far away, you could:

• Make a Smilebox card or send an ecard from Dayspring or Hallmark to cheer them up. Make sure they are up to using their computer first though.
• Even though you are too far away to take them to the doctor’s, it can still be wise to monitor their symptoms and encourage them to go to the doctor’s if necessary.
• Sending them a bouquet of flowers won’t be cheap but it could be such a day brightener, it’s often worth it.
• Use Amazon to send them a book or DVD. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, it can arrive as quickly as the next business day for only $3.99 shipping (or free in the next two business days)!
• If they live in an area that offers grocery store delivery options, ask for a list and send them some sick-friendly foods like chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers. For that matter, Amazon’s grocery department carries both Chicken Noodle Soup and Saltine Crackers and works with Prime shipping!:)
• If their illness looks like it will be prolonged, help them get signed up for Meals on Wheels.

Just knowing you are “there” for them and care about them, whether close of far away, can give them the boost they need to feel better quickly. And that’s the best gift of all!

TIPS & INFO FOR SENIOR HOME CARE GIVERS:

CNN has an interesting article on vitamins and herbs that can harm you or your aging parents.  Per @ArthritisUpdate. I found this especially interesting as the #1 item was St. John’s Wort. I took that several years ago for PMS.  I did not sleep, literally, for three days! When I figured out St. John’s Wort was the only thing new and quit taking it, I was finally able to sleep – the NEXT day! The frustrating thing was that I had researched it before taking it but there just wasn’t that much info out there – it was in the early days of the internet. Please understand, I have heard that it can work well for some people. BUT IT, like any other medication or over the counter product, should be tested carefully and well-discussed with your doctor. And be sure to discuss with your aging parents anything like this that they may have started taking and not thought to mention to you or their doctor.

Here are some excellent tips on giving a bath to a senior home care parent with Alzheimer’s Disease. Per @wecaresenior who has a great article of her own on helping our aging parents with just a little extra light!

Tips to meet daily challenges – Alzheimer’s Disease. Per @Carebuzz

GREAT RESOURCES FOR GRANDPARENTS:

Sparky’s Back-to-School Safety Tips.    Good to share with your grandkids. Per @TinaFightsFire.

Encouragement: Now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You! Ps. 39:7

ThinkFun is a an interesting educational game site I found at And Twins Make 5.  ThinkFun lets you “test drive” their games before buying and their games look both fun AND educational. My favorite kind! Do take a peek at both these fun sites, and while you are at And Twins Make 5, join me in leaving a comment to try to win one of ThinkFun’s games.

Useful Resources for Grandparents Helping With Homeschooling Programs:

Top ten educational websites for the home school family.

A blog carnival with lots of interesting posts for those working with any kind of homeschooling programs AND its got some fun juggling info as well.

One more interesting blog carnival with info for homeschooling programs AND some adorable cat photos

SANDWICH GENERATION / BABY BOOMER GENERATION INFO & ENCOURAGEMENT:

“Only 1 review on brand new Keen Emily shoe over at @zappos but it’s awesome! Super shoe!”  Per  @BarkingDogShoes who is my favorite shoe resource writer. She struggles with some of the same painful feet issues I do, so I appreciate her reviews of shoes she has actually test driven! And I, too, love Keen shoes! I have a pair of Keen sandals that I love and I am going to break down and get a pair of their nice dress shoes for church this fall/winter! Then I can look nice AND not have such painful feet.

Don’t know what it is about penguins. They’ve been in the news a lot and they’re just sooooo cute you can’t help but smile even on those tough caregiving days! 

Encouragement – May those who love Your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!” Ps 40:16b (NIV)

Bcelebrated is a brand new Twitter friend of mine with a very interesting site. According to their website, Bcelebrated gives you the ability to: Create your own autobiographical memorial website; Automatically email your community when you pass away; Write password protected private messages for loved ones; and Leave a permanent site where your friends and family will celebrate your life. I am planning on giving them a good test drive in the next couple of months BUT they are currently celebrating Senior Citizens Day with with FREE lifetime memberships at Bcelebrated.com thru 8/25. Just enter code SENIOR. As you know, FREE is always one of my favorite ways to SAVE MONEY! So I definitely wanted to pass this info on to you in case you would like to take a test drive as well. Just in case you are as busy as me, 8/25 IS TODAY. So if you want to take advantage of this great deal, hop over there ASAP

Buzz Aldrin to accept Emmy for NASA moon broadcast. As a proud member of the Baby Boomer Generation, I say HOORAY . Per @_Spock_.

I loved the story in last week’s Upwords by Max Lucado. I hope it gives you a smile as well.

Twitter Tech Tips

TWEET IDEAS: 13 Things to Do on Twitter Besides Tweet.   per @VickiElam

10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets per @mattkeegan

And finally, ending on a “sweet note,” Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors! She is now on Twitter and has a fun contest for those who sign up to follow her @KarenKingsbury .  In fact, she also has a couple of other fun contests at her website – KarenKingsbury.com Have fun!

Traveling is fun, but it’s also hard work. It can involve lots of heav-ing and ho-ing of luggage, eyestrain trying to figure out maps in strange places, and a constant sense of disorientation as you try to remember which room you are in.

Traveling as a member of the Sandwich Generation, with an aging parent or young grandchild, can add an extra level of difficulty to the trip. Throw in an unexpected illness and yet another challenge rears its little head. What DO you do if someone gets sick while traveling?

Here’s a few tips I learned the hard way that might be a help to you:

• Call your medical insurance carrier, if you have one, to see what their requirements are, if any, BEFORE you ever leave home. It’s a lot easier having a plan in place then to have to try to figure things out in a strange area when someone doesn’t feel good.
• When you check in to each hotel / motel, map out the location of the nearest facility that your insurance allows. When I had Kaiser, they required you to go to Kaiser, if there was one close enough. Otherwise you could go anywhere and just save the receipt. With the Blue Cross I had, I was allowed to go anywhere for a basic checkup, though I did have to get approval for certain procedures. Currently, I just look for the nearest Urgent Care Center. I’ve been very pleased with the ones I’ve been to and there always seems to be at least one within five minutes of any of my locations.
• Barring an HMO like Kaiser, most people can select from a broad choice of pharmacies. I use Target which has stores almost everywhere I go. That way, I can have my medications transferred to whatever location I am in without much problem. I assumed I would be fine anywhere I went, until a few months ago when I spent a week in a city two hours away from the nearest Target. They did, however, have a Walmart. I’m not going to change now, but if I ever have to change pharmacies, I will definitely be keeping that in mind. With a guestimated 4000+ Walmarts in 2008 (including Sam’s Clubs) and only 1500+ Targets, Walmart is in a lot more locations. Then again, Walgreens has almost 7000 stores! The area I visited had both Walmart and Walgreens giving me two excellent choices.

Hopefully all your travels will be easy and healthy, but implementing these tips in advance should help make things easier if you do have to deal with illness on the road.

As you may remember, I recently wrote about Sandra Boynton’s “Blue Moo.” In the process of researching that article, I discovered she had released a couple of other childrens’ audio cd/book combos. As a proud member of the Baby Boomer Generation, who grew up with Big Band-loving parents, Broadway musicals were as much a part of my life as hot apple pie (the movie versions, that is), I grew up on Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Rogers & Hammerstein, The King and I, The Sound of Music, and The Wizard of Oz, to name just a very few of our favorites. I have attended many local live musicals over the years as I have continued with this musical love affair.

Philadelphia Chickens gives me another way to enjoy that musical experience and share it in the car with my grandkids. It’s even one of those CDs that my senior mom will actually enjoy. It’s a childrens’ CD that features kid’s songs with tunes from Broadway Musicals such as A Chorus Line Broadway musical.

If you’ve read Sandra Boynton’s book, Snuggle Puppy, you will recognize and enjoy that song on Philadelphia Chickens. As I understand it, the song came first, and then she wrote a book based on it. I couldn’t figure out how I missed its release, but finally realized I was in the midst of dealing with my dad’s deteriorating health from Parkinson’s Disease, and two grandbabies being born, coupled with bedrest for both my daughters. I guess I was pretty busy that year. Hmmm, come to think of it, I haven’t had a quiet year in over a decade! LOL. Life in the Sandwich Generation is never boring, that’s for sure!

I have to tell you, I am very picky about what I play for my grandkids. If they are going to listen to a song over and over, I want to be sure it is one that is teaching positive things and not negative. There is a very cute song, I Like to Fuss, that starts out saying “Mostly I Am Pleasant, Mostly I am Good,” but then it goes into having a bad day and enjoying it a bit more than I like to hear. It’s a very catchy tune and the words aren’t ones I want to emphasize with my grandkids. That’s when I really appreciate iTunes. I will pop that CD into my computer, add it to iTunes, then save most of the songs to a playlist for the car. But I’m thinking I will be leaving that particular song off. At least until they are old enough to understand it a bit better.

I’m looking forward to introducing them to “The Dinosaur Blues.” Since we love to play dinosaur tag, they will get a special kick out of it! What is dinosaur tag, you ask? I am the “mean” dinosaur, who chases all the other little dinosaurs (who are always much faster and always get away). My youngest grandson always chooses to be the grandbaby dinosaur who gets lots of hugs and wild swings from me. It makes little sense, lots of noise, lots of running, and lots of fun! I just might have to learn to sing the Dinosaur Blues as we are playing that game!

This kids’ music CD features singers such as Meryl Streep, Natasha Richardson, Scott Bakula, and many others and is a fun and delightful treat for young and old alike, making it especially great for those of us in the Sandwich Generation! Our elderly parents will love it, our grandkids will love it, and we will love it!

So, what about you? Do your grandkids already have Philadelphia Chickens? What do you think about it? We’d love to hear your comments on it.