Are you stressed out caring for an aging parent or spouse? Overwhelmed with balancing their life with yours? You're not alone. Here are some tips to help you take care of yourself and those you love.
Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others
You’re at work. The phone rings. Caller ID shows it’s your mom. You sigh. Shake your head and wish the call would just go away. You think, “I was just there. What does she need now? How am I possibly going to get my work done?”Most caregivers have other important and pressing responsibilities, so the added responsibility of caring for a senior loved one is likely to cause both emotional and physical stress on the caregiver. In fact, according to a survey by Home Instead Senior Care, 31% of family caregivers admit they'd like more help.
The first step in dealing with caregiver stress is to recognize the physical signs.
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Fitness & Nutrition
As they age, seniors can encounter a number of obstacles to remaining safe and healthy at home. One is fitness and the other nutrition. If your loved one has lost interest in eating, you’re not alone. Certain illnesses and medications can impact an older adult’s appetite. What’s more, mealtimes may have lost their appeal if Mom or Dad is living alone.
Staying fit and active also can seem like a difficult goal for many seniors who are unable to do what they once did. Motivating older adults to eat healthy and stay fit are among the most daunting challenges that many family caregivers face.
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Caregiver Communication
Just when you thought that family caregiving couldn't get more complicated, a new issue seems to pop up. And you're left wondering what to do. How do you begin to talk with your elderly mom about getting more help? When do you discuss with your dad giving up the car keys? What do you say to your brothers and sisters when you're stuck with all the caregiving and you can't count on your siblings to assist? When you're a family caregiver, the list of possible caregiver questions and issues is endless.read more
Senior Safety
Nearly 90 percent of seniors say they want to stay in their home. Doing so gives them a wonderful sense of continued independence.But having mom or dad live alone can be a source of worry for their adult children. The, “What if?” scenarios can often overwhelm the mind. “What if she falls down?” “What if he forgets something on the stove?” “What if she doesn’t tell me it’s getting harder for her to get around?”
If you feel like this, you’re not alone. In 2007 the AARP surveyed boomer women and found that two-thirds are concerned about their parents’ ability to live independently.
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Senior Housing & Care Options
If caring for your loved one has become too demanding or if it is just unsafe to leave the senior home alone for a period of time, it may be time to consider a new living arrangement.Most seniors think that where they live is an all or nothing affair: stay at home or be sent to a nursing home. But to the contrary, there are a whole host of services and housing options available today that can fit a wide range of needs and life styles – including remaining in the family home.
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Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease
Caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease often requires a great deal of time and patience, and it can cause great stress to the caregiver.
Both illnesses lead to symptoms of serious changes in memory, personality and behavior. For some it often ends up with the afflicted needing total care, 24 hours per day. This can be emotionally and physically demanding for a family caregiver, a grown child taking care of her/his parent, or a spouse caring for his/her lifelong partner.Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia can help.
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Planning for Care
It’s always good to get out ahead of the curve. Advanced planning can go a long way toward easing stress for both the senior and the caregiver. And, in the event of an emergency, all parties will be prepared to manage through what could be a difficult situation.read more
Laughter: the Best Medicine
Have you laughed today? Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, is one of the best stress relievers around. When laughter is shared, it brings people closer together and increases everyone's overall mood and health. Enjoy some of these jokes we heard lately.read more
Getting Help
“…All you have to do is call, and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. You've got a friend…” James Taylor, You’ve got a friend
Having friends and family who want to help with your caregiving duties, even if it’s just to pick your kids up from school while you take your parent to the doctor, is a blessing and relief.But sometimes there are situations where you are a distance from your loved one who needs care or the person you are caring for is resistant to your outside help, and you wonder what you can do.
And, despite our friends' and family members' best convincing that they are there for you; sometimes it’s really just hard to ask for help. But it’s OK to ask. And truth be told, people really do want to help in a time of need, because helping out usually makes everyone feel good.
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Stress & Spousal Caregiving
In sickness and in health…that was likely among the vows you took with your spouse on your wedding day. So, you wouldn't think twice about caring for your partner if he or she is in a situation where there's a growing need for your care and assistance.While this is a natural and loving reaction, it is important to recognize that spousal caregiving often leads to significant changes in your marital relationship and it can sometimes leave the caregiver feeling overwhelmed and under stress.
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For more information or to connect with others, go to: http://www.caregiverstress.com/helpful-tips/
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