All About Care Giver

One of the greatest fears of older adults is the loss in independence. That loss is felt acutely when it translates into the need for institutional living. Even the most luxurious congregant living facility isn’t the same as your own home. “Aging in place” is the chief desire of our aging parents, but for some, it just may not be possible without assistance. It is not uncommon for an ailing, frail adult to be cared for by their aging frail spouse, who will soon become ailing as well from the stress and demands of caregiving. Frail seniors who will be facing old age alone may have a poor outcome if living independently.

It is an especially frightening prospect for those of us who have an aging parent in a different city. Imagine having a parent who doesn’t always hear the phone when it rings. How many alarm bells go off in your head when the phone rings off the hook? Are they taking a nap, or lying unconscious on the bathroom floor? Do they have groceries? Did they remember to take their blood pressure medication? When was the last time they took a shower?

Professional help in the home can take many forms, but custodial care (assistance with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, errands, companionship, light housekeeping, etc.) is the type of care most frequently needed by the aging population. This type of care is not covered by Medicare or senior HMO. Long term care insurance is the only third party payer designed for this need and different policies have different allowances.

When arranging for care, realize that care might not have to start out all day, everyday. Examine what the actual current level of need truly is. Which of the tasks necessary for safe and healthy home living are no longer able to done independently? It might just be assistance with meals, trips to the doctor’s office, or the occasional outing for exercise and mental stimulation. On the other end of the spectrum, however, it might be that an individual is so frail they are no longer able to safely bathe and dress themselves. Perhaps knowing that someone is awake in the house at night for assistance with trips to the bathroom offers a sense of security. Care can be provided in a shift-work, live-out arrangement from 4 to 24 hours per day, or live-in. Costs vary according to the level of care (e.g., simple companionship vs. providing personal care). These needs can change over time and caregiving can be flexibly arranged to match the need.

Another consideration is whether to use an agency or hire privately. There are obvious advantages to dealing with an agency. The staff are pre-screened for you. Additionally, if an agency caregiver is ill or on vacation, another caregiver can easily be substituted. An agency handles the payroll taxes and workers’ compensation coverage for its employees. Inquire if the agency utilizes employees, or are their caregivers “Form 1099″ independent contractors. Be aware that for the latter, the client will be responsible for the payroll taxes and must be certain that their home owner’s insurance will cover workers who may get injured while in their employ. This will also be true if the caregiver is hired privately.

Another advantage to working with an agency is they will help the client adjust during the initial phase of having a caregiver in the home. To some fiercely independent seniors, having a caregiver is seen as an affront and they will work very hard to sabotage the relationship. They will find fault with everyone. (“You sent me someone with blue eyes! I can’t be cared for by someone with blue eyes!” Yes, it’s happened.) That can mean a revolving door of caregivers until they become accustomed to having someone in their home. Ultimately, regardless of the route taken to hire a help in the home, to quote a popular commercial, “Finding the right caregiver – priceless.”

Posted on February 3rd, 2010 by Peter
Filed under: Home And Family | Comments Off

Caring for one’s loved ones is a tough job that requires a lot of responsibility. As a family caregiver, not only do you have to manage your loved one’s health and medical needs, you also have to manage their daily living needs, including legal, financial, and social concerns. Judging from the important issues listed above, it is not hard to see that caregiving is often difficult, exhausting, and emotionally upsetting. Many times it feels like the care-receiver makes too many demands on the caregiver. At the same time, the caregiver still has to deal with her/his own responsibilities of work, marriage, and child rearing/parenting. In addition, the care-receiver and the caregiver may not see eye-to-eye regarding how caregiving situations should be handled.

Stress can be exhibited in a number of ways: physical symptoms such as muscle tension or increased blood pressure, behavioral symptoms such as depression or verbal or physical abuse, emotional symptoms such as the inability to concentrate, or loss of self-esteem, or participate in escape activities, such as excessive alcohol or drug use. To better manage stress it may be necessary to modify the source of stress and/or change your reaction to it.

To combat any stress that comes with being a caregiver it may be advantageous to keep a stress journal, noting events and issues that triggered a feeling of stress. Laughter, exercise, breathing techniques, meditation; guided imagery or visualization, yoga, music, a long, hot bath and other simple remedies are available to relieve stress. The main thing is that caregivers need to realize they must take care of themselves as well, to not let stress get to them. Otherwise, you’ll fail as a caregiver and be left with your own physical or emotional pains.

To avoid the stress of caregiving and, what I like to call, “caregiver burnout” it is important to share your feelings about your caregiving experience. Find someone you can talk to about this. Support groups are a sure-fire method of finding someone with whom you can talk.

Ultimately, there are eight steps a caregiver must focus on to control those things that cause stress:

1. Become aware of your stressors and your reactions. Don’t gloss over your problems.

2. Recognize what you can change and change what you can.

3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress. Are your expectations accurate?

4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress. Take deep, slow breaths.

5. Build your physical reserves. Exercise.

6. Maintain your emotional reserves. Be kind to yourself.

7. Find someone to talk to about what you’re feeling. Join a support group.

8. If you cannot change the situation and cannot change the way you view the situation, you can still manage stress by mastering other skills. You can learn to “turn off” your stress.

Achieving the ability to turn one’s stress off is an important component to being the best caregiver possible. This is a difficult task to undertake with immediacy, however, it is something that can be achieved by following the steps and passages listed above.

Posted on January 31st, 2010 by Peter
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What is a “caregiver“? Someone who is involved in helping someone else manage to carry out the tasks of living. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? For the caregiver, it is anything but easy or simple.

Let’s be honest. Being a caregiver is a tough job. Being a caregiver to aging parents is even tougher. Not that we don’t love our parents. Of course we do, or trust me, we would not undertake the caregiver role.

It’s stressful because of a lifetime of family dynamics. The emotions and memories, happy or sad, have a way of coming to the surface when least expected.

Who knew that providing TLC to loved ones could be this stressful? How stressful is it? Well, caregivers are at an increased risk of depression and burnout.

Symptoms of both tend to mimic each other. One contributes to the other. Sort of the age-old puzzle…”Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?”

~~~Signs of Caregiver Burnout~~~

anxiety irritability anger exhaustion self criticism trouble at work trouble in relationships substance abuse feeling overwhelmed apathy for usual activities depression
~~~Things To Do For You~~~ always talk with your doctor vent to support network speak with therapist call local senior service organizations utilize programs to assist caregivers join support groups arrange “home care” visitors get respite care do not neglect nutrition try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night take time to do something you enjoy you must find humor in everyday events Of course, each caregiver’s situation is unique. Some may be handling the responsibilities from thousands of miles away. Coordinating and managing elder care over the phone and making visits. Some live near enough to try to run two households. And, others have one or both aging parents residing with them. Whichever caregiver role you are in charge of, you have to take care of yourself. And I know it’s way easier for someone to offer well-meaning advice than it is to carry out.

But you have to try. Depression and burnout are serious conditions. How sad and unfair to have this happen to you when you are trying to make the last years of an aging parent as pleasant as possible.

(c) 2007 Karen Cook

Posted on January 31st, 2010 by Peter
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To care for yourself is easier said than done when you are the caregiver of a seriously ill child. Add to that other children, a spouse, cooking,cleaning,laundry,appointments, pets, church, other family members or an outside job and taking care of you goes to the bottom of the list. Here are a few tips to put you at the top again without feeling guilty.

1. Delegate…. There is no rule that says you must do it all, whether you are the mom or the dad. Let others help, delegate smaller age appropriate jobs to the other siblings, and divide chores with your spouse. And that includes the care for the sick child. No one person can do it all.

2. During times of acute illness, have prepared or prepackaged meals on hand in the freezer. There is nothing wrong with a frozen pizza on occasion. Or make simple meals like scrambled eggs and bacon or pancakes. Have fresh fruit on hand too, for a quick pick me up and an easy snack for you.

3. Do household bills on the same day each month instead of several times a month. When your child has been ill, the days and weeks run together so it is easier to plan on one day for bill paying. You are less likely to miss a bill and it is less stressful.

4. Plan to handle emails, phone calls, and other household business the same way… on one day each month or one day each week. Assign a spokesperson for the family for the other times during the month saving your time for your child or for rest for yourself.

5. Utilize the social service department of your child’s hospital and don’t let pride get in the way if your family needs something extra. Social workers are trained to help families deal with the stress of a chronically ill child and they can meet with siblings, help find financial solutions, and liaison between family and friends.

6. Leave the guilt behind when you have a few minutes to yourself. Enjoy a hot bubble bath, savor a meal prepared by someone else, or just be content when another has cleaned or done laundry, even if it is not up to your standards.

Give yourself permission to relax or read or just sit quietly listening to the birds a few minutes everyday. It will go a long way to keeping you sane and refreshed.

Posted on January 25th, 2010 by Peter
Filed under: Health And Fitness | Comments Off

Family caregiving which is caring for a family member by a spouse or child or any member of the family is rewarding and a bonding experience which can also be stressful and create tension within family members. These conditions often not only affect the health of the person needing care but also that of the one giving the care.

To protect your health as a family caregiver, you can observe some of these tips to help preserve your health:
• Work out
• Meditate
• Ask for Assistance
• Have a break
• Eat the right foods
• Pamper yourself from time to time
• Have regular check-ups

Posted on January 10th, 2010 by Peter
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As a continuation to the previous post, here are some other tips that will help you make a long term plan towards effective caregiving:
3.Nursing homes should be familiar to you. It is very helpful for you to determine what’s available whether you decide to use or not to use one. Be aware of the fact that there are nursing homes in urban areas that have a very long waiting list when it comes to specialized care for Alzheimers patients.
4.You should establish a network of friends and family members that can assist you in times of need.
5.It is also recommended that you take advantage of relief care opportunities that may be available. You may find these in local hospitals, day care centers for adults and in your local church and community groups.

Posted on December 10th, 2009 by Peter
Filed under: Guide | Comments Off

Obesity is defined as a chronic disease which increases risks of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, respiratory conditions, osteoarthritis, and cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and endometrium. This condition results in higher mortality rates related to the condition.

An ideal caregiving team for obese people may include you, a physician including but not limited to specialists like psychologists, nutritionist, dietitian and exercise physiologist. As the team leader, you are in the best position to determine what your loved one needs in term of medical, emotional, physical and spiritual requirements which can be delivered compassionately and skillfully.

Posted on November 10th, 2009 by Peter
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It is very important to have a long term planning for you to become a good and effective caregiver. Making difficult decisions is also expected of you if you take the caregiving path. To help you wth your decisions, you must fully determine all your choices and this is done through long term planning. How are you going to make long term planning?

1.You must be able to make sure that you have an attorney with sufficient knowledge and can give you appropriate advise regarding powers of attorney, health care preferences, guardianships and living wills.
2.You also have to make sure that you are involved in a health care group or team that you can depend on such as doctors, nurses and social workers.

Posted on October 10th, 2009 by Peter
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Care giving is one of the most in demand vocations there is in the world. Usually patients would be he old people who are left to the end of their days in hospitals built especially for them, or to put it bluntly, the old people’s home. Most care givers are Asians for the same reason most menial laborers are Latins. It is because the western society has failed to take any interest in taking care of their own and has therefore relied on cheap labor to attend to the responsibility in their behalf. It is a must know that care giving is a sensitive task. It requires the outmost patience on the part of the person who renders care as the patients are by far different from the usual ones. They are more tardy, childish and therefore more prone to tantrums and abrupt violence.

Posted on September 10th, 2009 by editor
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The International Alliance of Carers Organizations or IACO is located in London. The main purposes or missions of this organization is to develop the visibility of the family caregiving across the lifespan as something that will be considered as a very significant international issue, to intensify the relationship between different countries and improve their caregiving programs through sharing of effective caregiving practices and to aid countries that are interested in organizing and promoting family carer organizations by providing assistance and encouragement to them. IACO was established on February 27, 2004. The caregiving organizations involved in IACO came from the countries UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.

Posted on August 10th, 2009 by Peter
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