Top Caregiving Resources To Empower Caregivers By: BrightStar Care | - According to the National Family Caregivers Association, more than 50 million Americans provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year, and that number is growing. Caregivers often do so much more than provide care. They are companions, friends and, often times, become family, to those in their care.
In the olden days, the life expectancy of an average male was around 50 years; and of a female was around 55 years. However, these days people live much longer due to several reasons, such as better medical treatment and enhanced living conditions. Currently, men are expected to live up to 75 years and women are expected to live up to 80 years. And the number of people aged 65 years and above, is anticipated to increase every year.
Meeting God In North Dakota By: Elaine Sanchez | - If you are ever in doubt about God's existence or whether God's love is at work in this world, spend a few days in the company of people who care for the aged, disabled, and chronically ill. Follow in the footsteps of a middle-aged woman who works a full-time job and manages the care of aging parents or a disabled child. Spend the afternoon with a man as he tries to convince his 43 year-old wife that she is still beautiful even though she's had both of her breasts removed and has lost all of her ... Tags:Caregiving, Faith and Caregiving, God and Caregiving, Women of Faith, Help for Caregivers, Faith-based Caregiving, Faith-based Speakers, Christian Caregiving
The Key To Caregiving Survival Is Personal Strategic Planning By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - Do you have a personal strategic plan? Most caregivers develop a care plan for taking care of their loved-one or patient without giving much thought to their own personal strategic plan.
Businesses use strategic planning to improve their return on their financial equity, while individuals use strategic planning to increase their return on energy. Your personal equity or investments consist of the physical, emotional, and mental energies you have available. Good planning efforts could help ... Tags:caregiver, personal health records, caregiving organizer, healthcare, alzheimer's disease, telehealth
Guilty No More: Three Steps To Ending Caregiver Guilt By: Elaine Sanchez | - The dictionary defines guilt as a feeling of having done wrong or having failed in an obligation. Guilt isn't all bad, in that it prevents us from intentionally inflicting pain, injury, or suffering on others. It can, however, be an extremely cruel and controlling emotion.
Want To Reduce Caregiver Anger? Learn How To Manage Fatigue, Fear, And Frustration. By: Elaine Sanchez | - If you are providing care for an aging, chronically ill, or disabled loved one, it is almost guaranteed that you are also experiencing flashes of anger. As a caregiver, the number of situations and people with which you can become upset are practically limitless. It is not uncommon to be angry at the disease or the injury. You may be mad at your care receiver, the medical community, your insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, siblings, children, friends, and co-workers.
Have Your Family Members Happier And Healthier Under The Care Of Elderly Care South Atlanta By: vickih | - Putting your aged parent or other such relative in the care of another is a major decision and can cause a family member to feel emotions, such as sadness, guilt, incompetence and more. Elderly Care South Atlanta is there to relieve you of the burdensome duties that taking care of an aged relative brings.
Since most families need two incomes to survive these days there is often no one existing to care for mom or dad, grandma or grandpa. Although most of us do not take pleasure in ma ... Tags:Caregiving for the elderly, Atlanta Caregiver Service, Hire ca
Alzheimer's In Home Care Atlanta By: vickih | - As much as we would wish otherwise, there comes a time when our loved ones reach a certain age where it is difficult to properly care for them. This does not mean that they are invalids. It rather means that age and, sometimes, illnesses will make their mobility limited. As a result, it is very difficult for an elderly person to act upon tasks that others could perform in an effortless manner. Fortunately, there are options available to those whose loved ones are in such a position. Through a pr ... Tags:Caregiving for the elderly, Atlanta Caregiver Service, Hire ca
Massage Reduces Agitation In Patients Suffering From Dementia By: Brandon J. Thomas | - A gentle, slow stroke massage can reduce the physical expressions of agitation in those suffering from dementia, including Alzheimers Disease. Dementia refers to a cluster of symptoms resulting from brain disorders that greatly impair cognitive skills, without causing a loss of consciousness. Although the onset of dementia can occur in mid-life, it is most commonly found in the elderly, leading to institutionalization for the vast majority of sufferers.
Fairy Tales For Caregivers: What's The Lesson? By: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson | - Fairy tales weave in and out of our lives as children and unless we grow up, marry and have children ourselves, fairy tales become part of our forgotten past. Did you ever consider that historical fairy tales, fables and poems reflect virtues and lessons valuable today in navigating care for ourselves and our loved ones?
Birth Order Dictates Caregiving Qualities By: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson | - Did you ever consider that birth order can indicate the quality of caregiver we will become for a loved one? That birth order also indicates the role we play in our marital relationships? By learning more about the characteristics of birth we can improve our relationships within our immediate families and within the families we acquire through marriage.
Dysfunctional Families Stopping The Madness By: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson | - In what can be called normal families, individuals have the ability to acknowledge problems, discuss differences of opinion and be able to work together to change situations. By looking at family structure, background can be provided on why some individuals are dysfunctional. This information allows us to improve our own functionality and work within what we see as challenging situations by helping us respond with appropriate action.
Avoid Caregiver Stress By: Stephen Joyce | - Would you be surprised to know that the biggest threat to your parent remaining at home is how well you manage your caregiver stress and mental health? You know it's true that without the support that you provide each day that your parent could not continue to live at home. If you as your parent's primary care provider can no long provide all the care you do right now, what would your parents' options be?
Caring for a parent adds complexity to your life. You add another layer of ... Tags:caregiving, caregiver stress.
Generational Issues Challenge Family Caregiving By: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson | - Every generation uses the phrase "kids today" with a tone of disappointment. After all, the generation in which we were born is always the greatest. It is those that come after us that may be the problem. In discussing subjects related to caregiving, it is helpful to learn about different aspects of each generation and how these affect values, experiences, lifestyles and attitudes.
10 Tips For Taking Care Of A Caregiver By: Colmer | - Keep in mind that what may be extremely stressful for you, may be a minor irritation for someone else, and maybe not all stressful to a third person. It is mainly your perception, interpretation, and response to an event that determines your stress level. However, certain events (such as long-term caregiving) tend to be viewed as highly stressful by most people, most of the time.
Stress can make you sick---physically, emotionally, or both at the same time. Sometimes, good caregiving can be ... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, M
10 Things Every Respite Caregiver Needs To Know By: Colmer | - Respite services cover a wide range. They may include volunteer services, adult day care for the care-receiver, or even a care-receiver's brief stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility. They also could include a private duty nurse or adult foster care. Respite caregiving may be provided by a different family member or a friend who can stay with the care-receiver to give you a short break.
It is a good idea to schedule regular respite care so the primary caregiver always has a sch ... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, M
10 Resources For Caregiving Help By: Colmer | - 1.Family. The best starting place is with immediate family members. Use family helpers as much as possible. If they do not volunteer to help do not hesitate to ask them how they would like to contribute to the care of their loved one. One family member may be better suited for running errands while another is good at paying bills. Not everyone is willing or able to contribute the same level of care.
2.Friends. If friends, neighbors, distant relatives ask if there is anything they can do ... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, Marketing, business
Health Care Professionals Every Caregiver Needs To Know By: Colmer | - When caregivers have knowledge of care-receivers' illnesses, they will be better able to communicate with attending doctors. It's important to find the right health care professional to be sure to get the proper care.
Here's a list of health care professionals that may be on your Care Team:
General Practitioner (G.P) Treats diseases and injuries, prescribe meds, perform minor surgeries and make referrals to specialists.
Medical Doctor (M.D.) Treats diseases and injuries ... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, Marketing, business
Family Care Tips: Care Giving For A Loved One With Alzheimer's Disease By: Colmer | - Here are some family care tips for family members and caregivers:
1.Discuss early on a patient's wishes. Have an early and frank discussion with his/her primary physician, attorney, accountant, and financial advisors.
2.Early on make sure your loved one undergoes thorough and comprehensive evaluation, medically, neurologically, and psychiatrically.
3.Keep Alzheimer's patients in a familiar and safe environment.
4.Keep Alzheimer's patients in an independent setting ... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, Marketing, business
Keeping Life Balanced While Caring For Parents. By: Stephen Joyce | - Life balance can be elusive when you are caring for a relative. Adding caregiving duties to your already busy life takes over any free time you might have. Letting go of the concept that balance means perfection or always feeling in control is a good place to begin.
The best analogy that I've heard about achieving life balance is to compare balance to sailing. Sailing does not mean setting a direct route and plowing forward. Sailors start with their destination in mind and foll ... Tags:caring for parents, caregiving, aging parents
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Symptoms For Caregivers To Look For By: Colmer | - It's that time of year againshorter days and grayer skies. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of seasonal depression, usually occurring in the winter, which affects millions of people a year between September and April with the peak occurring in the winter months of December, January, and February. True SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing people from functioning normally. (Combine this with caregiver stress and holiday stress, and the results can be disastrous).
... Tags:management, medical, financial, caregiving, communication, Marketing, business
10 Reasons To Keep Caregiving Records By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - The caregiver role is complex and differs for everyone depending on the needs of the care-receiver (patient).
Many times, in the beginning, there may only be a few needs, such as providing transportation or helping with shopping or cooking.
Over time, needs increase, requiring additional services, until the care-receiver is fully dependent on the caregiver.
When It Comes To Your Aging Parents: Are You A Caregiver Or A Caretaker? By: Gail McConnon | - Midlife with aging parents can be a blessing. Or, it can be a totally exhausting challenge. How is it for you? How is it for them? Do you care? Do you give care? Do you take care? Do you care, and take back?
Im really not playing a word game with you. This is very serious.
If youre involved in any way, shape, or form in the care of your aging or elderly parents, the questions are these:
25 Bad Habits Every Caregiver Should Avoid By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - A habit is a constant, often unconscious inclination to perform some act, acquired through its frequent repetition. If the habit is objectionable, we call it a "bad habit".
It's possible to control your habits and make a positive change in as little as 30 days. Focus on one habit at a time.
Caregiving bad habits often lead to increased stress and sometimes, even to elder abuse.
Elder abuse often starts as psychological abuse. If a caregiver doesn't properly deal with her/h ... Tags:Caregiver assistance, caregiver, eldercare, caregiving, aging parents, home health
30 Signs Your Loved One May Need A Caregiver By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - There are approximately 37 million people over the age of 65 and 5.3 million people over the age of 85. Each year millions of older people start requiring some sort of assistance to carry out their routine daily activities. Family members (family caregivers) provide most of the help.
It is not always easy to know when to intervene. It may seem like your loved one is in a gray area somewhere between competency and incompetence.
Baby Boomers Now Responsible For Their Kids--and Their Aging Parents! By: Laurence Harmon | - The oldest of the nation's 75 million Baby Boomers recently turned 60. A survey by the Pew Research Center finds that many of them are planning their own retirement while balancing family responsibilities.
They're either raising minor children or providing various kinds of support to their adult children as well as their own aging parents.
As children, many of us took for granted the countless hours of hard work our parents endured to ensure we grew into happy, healthy and respectable adults. By the time most people enter their early twenties it becomes very apparent how much time and dedication is needed to take care of another life almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Is there ever a time when you have the opportunity to show your parents just how much you appreciate everything theyve done f ... Tags:caregiving, senior health care, home health care, long term care
Holiday Stress Relief For Caregivers By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - If you are a caregiver you are probably already familiar with the effects of stress. With the upcoming holidays it is almost a sure bet your stress level will go up.
You may start to feel more tired than usual. You may worry more. You may feel like everyone else is piling their stress onto you.
Here are a few things you can do to help lessen your stress level. Even the relatively small things can add up.
Home Safety Tips For Caregivers By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - As a family caregiver, it is important to safe-proof your home. Falls are the seventh leading cause of death in persons over the age of 65. There are a variety of reasons for falls, such as falls from ladders or scaffolding, falls from slipping, tumbling or tripping.
It is important to know the hazards and then take the necessary precautions. It is important to constantly be alert.
Here are some general safety tips to help reduce or eliminate hazards in your home.
1.Emergen ... Tags:caregiver, safety, aging parents, caregiving, eldercare, home hazards, falls
Help Your Respite Caregiver By Doing These Ten Things By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - If you are a family caregiver there will come a time when you need a break. It usually comes sooner rather than later.
You may only need help for an hour or two or for a day or two. This is when a respite caregiver will step in.
Respite services cover a wide range.
They may include volunteer services or adult day care for the care-receiver. Or, it may even a care-receiver's brief stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Five Ways To Improve Caregiver Communications Within The Family By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - Communication goes on in many ways: exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing or behavior. It is no surprise that most families develop a special and unique communications style. When we talk to our family members, not only do we search for signs of love, but we also look for signs of disapproval. When families come together for making decisions about the care of their parent, they may need to develop or reframe their communication skills.
Ten Caregiver Tips For Care Of The Elderly By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - The caregiver role is complex and differs for everyone depending on the needs of the care-receiver.Many times, in the beginning, there may only be a few needs, such as providing transportation or helping with shopping or cooking.
Over time, needs increase, requiring additional services, until the care-receiver is fully dependent on the caregiver.Here are some tips to help you get started:
10 Places To Find Caregiving Help By: Rebecca Sharp Colmer | - The information in this article will tell you where to search for caregiving assistance for your loved one.
It is not easy being a caregiver. Often in the beginning stage it is natural to think that you can do it all by yourself. As time goes on your caregiving duties will increase.The sooner you get extra help, the better.
Keep in mind it may take some time to find the right combination of services and support for your loved one.
Caregiver Survival Tips - Three Ways To Stay Positive By: Elaine K. Sanchez | - Madelyn Kubin was recovering from open-heart surgery. She had osteoporosis, macular degeneration, restless leg syndrome, and severe hearing loss. She lived on a farm six miles from a town of 10,000 people in the middle of Kansas, and she had very little money. And then, just a few months after Madelyn's 70th birthday, her husband suffered a debilitating stroke and she became his caregiver.
How To Stay Positive - Three Tips For Caregivers By: Elaine K. Sanchez | - Madelyn Kubin was a Kansas farm woman who overpowered her own failing health to care for her husband after he suffered a debilitating stroke. She chronicled her experience through writing letters to her daughter. Madelyn developed a myriad of coping strategies in order to maintain a positive attitude. The following survival tips are illustrated with excerpts from her letters.
Detach Yourself Mentally by Practicing Creative Indifference
Overpowering The Demands Of Caregiving - Lessons From Madelyn By: Elaine K. Sanchez | - Madelyn Kubin was a Kansas farm woman who overpowered her own failing health to care for her husband after he suffered a debilitating stroke. She chronicled her experience through writing letters to her daughter. There are many lessons for all caregivers in Madelyns experiences. Here are three, illustrated with excerpts from the book Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver:
Thanks, Mom..! ( Some Reasons Why You Might Want To Get Long Term Care Insurance ) By: Clay Cotton | - How many of us say that we will take care of our parents if they became disabled and could not live alone? Raise your hands! If you're like me, you have told your mom or dad, "I'll take care of you, don't worry. I'll always be there for you!"
Of course, I must point out that I don't own a house, my husband and I constantly move due to being renters, and now I'm my husband's full time caregiver. So it's a moot point. Where would I put my mother? Would I have enough energy to take c ... Tags:asset-protection, burden, care-givers, caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, elder-care, elderly, elders, family, finances, financial, financial-plan, fi
It's been a few weeks since Cindy started coming over to spend time with Clay - to relieve me of my caregiving duties. She comes at least once a week. What a blessing! The long term care of any individual can be exhausting, at times, so I now call Cindy "my angel""
Caregiving Comfort: A Family Caregiver's Portable Support Group By: Clay Cotton | - A caregiver needs all the support that can be had, but all-too-often a caregiver cannot find time and energy to attend scheduled support groups. Imagine the usefulness of a portable support group you can carry with you anywhere and access whenever you want. That's what we can have in Carol Bursack's touching little book, "Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories".
Caregiving's Costly Burden By: Clay Cotton | - Hey - If I had known that official government policy toward caring for elderly parents was that their children would have to do it all, well I would have had 10 kids.
While it's said that those in the developing world have numerous children with the hope that some will survive to care for them when they're old, those in developed counties have about two children.
Friends And Family Will Be Tapped For Long Term Care By: Clay Cotton | - WASHINGTON - More than 1/3 of U.S. residents contacted indicated they would turn to family and friends for long term care, a new survey shows.
That is the feeling, should the situation arise, among 39 percent of the 1,025 adults polled by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education. However statistics reveal that nearly one in two will enter a nursing facility at some point.
Caregiving - Families Don't Always Play Fair By: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson | - In our busy world, caregiving can become a complicated task especially when multiple family members are involved. Who will take responsibility for what tasks? Often the majority of the work is delegated to the family member who has the most available time. Caregivers placed in this position feel that this is not always fair and that their brothers, sisters, or other family members take advantage of them. This resentment creeps into family relationships.
Caregiver Contracts Make Things Clear By: Clay Cotton | - Caregiving is not the kind of topic that makes for pleasant chit-chat over tea, much like long term care and long term care insurance. Yet these are crucial issues to address boldly with vigor and verve, if you want future years to unfold gracefully.
So often our tendancies to ignore, deny, procrastinate and avoid can leave these issues unaddressed, and when the time for care is upon us (care which will VERY likely be needed, at least for half the population), then we could be le ... Tags:caregiving
Long Term Care Decision Can Take An Emotional Toll On Caregiver By: Clay Cotton | - It is universally agreed that one of the most difficult decisions a caregiver must make is deciding when it is finally time to choose a long term care facility for a loved one. Accepting that home is no longer enough is tremendously difficult for a caregiver and all concerned. Not only must families handle the grief, heartbreak and guilt of the placement, but they must also decide which type of care facility will be most appropriate for a loved one - plus, how to manage family finances. This per ... Tags:caregiving
Avoid Burnout When Caregiving An Aging Parent By: Dana Sanders | - When providing care to aging or disabled parents, many caregivers ignore the most important person involved in the caregiving process. "Who?" - you may ask? The answer might surprise you: The Caregiver.
Many times caregivers get so wrapped up in attending to parent's needs, trying to fit quality time with their own family into their schedule, and oftentimes attempting to balance a career, they forget or simply neglect to take some time for their own personal needs.
Coping With The Emotional Challenges Of Caregiving A Parent By: Dana Sanders | - Do you know someone acting as a caregiver to an aging or disabled parent, maybe a friend, loved-one, or a co-worker? Are you serving as the role of caregiver yourself? Do the emotional challenges seem impossible to deal with some days, and you just don't know how you can handle anymore?
As a caregiver for my mother, I would like to share my personal experiences and insight on how to successfully cope with the emotional challenges of serving as a caregiver to an aging or disabled p ... Tags:caregiving, eldercare, aging, caregiver, elderly, senior citizen
When youre a primary caregiver responsible for the well-being of your father, mother or another loved one, its easy to become obsessed with the details. You want to make sure your Dad isnt eating rotten food, so you smell everything in his refrigerator. You note that your Moms hair is oily and stringy, so you insist she let you wash it. And take off that blouse youve been wearing all week and put on a clean one, you add. ... Tags:caregiving, caretakers, caregivers, Alzheimer's, dementia, assisted-living, aging, primary caregiver, disability
How can you ensure that your loved ones (lets call them parents for the sake of this article) are getting the best possible care at a nursing home or assisted living facility? The first step is to pick the best institution you can afford, if you have a choice in the matter, but after that you cant simply sit back and relax. Its a fact that most nursing homes and assisted living facilities are understaffed, and even when they arent, you n ... Tags:caregiving, alzheimers, dementia, assisted-living, nursing homes, caregiver resource, caretaking, alzheimers care, aging
When were under stress as caregivers, its important to have outlets for relief and to periodically rejuvenate ourselves. Otherwise we do harm to ourselves and everyone around us.
Now, getting relief is more easily said than done. Sometimes theres just no alternative but to buck up under the load. However, even a small gesture can often be tremendously beneficial. One of these assists that meant a great deal to me was offere ... Tags:caregiver, caretaker, caregiving, caretaking, Alzheimer's, dementia, primary caregiver, mental health, aging, health
Communicating with those who have short term memory loss is difficult and frustrating. If you tell them you will visit tomorrow at three p.m.; that they should brush their teeth in the morning; or any number of things you want them to remember, your words may fly away before they can be acted upon. This is one reason it is recommended that signs be used in the homes of those with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. Reminders of what is in a ... Tags:caregiving, dementia, caretaker, memory loss, Alzheimer's, aging, communication, assisted living
