Search Results for: blog tips for caretakers

Caretakers and the Flu

Who is the caretaker in your family when somebody gets sick? When I was growing up, taking care of sick kids was my mom’s job (although she did share the duties with both of my grandmothers on occasion). With the double flu whammy this winter, you may find your family needing a caretaker. It’s all too easy for the flu (or another illness) to hop from one member of a household to another! Here are some tips to help keep the flu in check if somebody in your family gets sick. First and foremost, try to keep the sick person … Continue reading →

Tips for Caretakers

Taking care of a loved one or family member can be incredibly difficult and unrewarding. The stress of being a caretaker can be incredible, and seemingly unending. First and foremost, you need to make sure you get some time for yourself. You can’t neglect your own needs just because you are taking care of someone else. Stress and frustration levels will just keep going up unless you take a little time alone to recharge your batteries. What else can you do to make caretaker duties a little easier? Have realistic expectations. You aren’t perfect. The person you are taking care … Continue reading →

Relationship between Patient and Caregiver Makes a Difference

A study from Utah State University took a look at the relationship between Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers — and how that relationship can impact the patient’s mental and physical decline. Since 1994, researchers from Utah State University have been following more than five thousand people in order to look at risk factors for dementia. All participants were age 65 or older at the start of the study. Out of the initial five thousand, close to two hundred developed dementia and were being cared for by a spouse or (adult) child. Researchers interviewed the caregivers about their relationship with the patient … Continue reading →

Caretaker Stories: Crying on Christmas

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For people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, routines are very useful. Breaking the routine can cause stress and confusion for the patient and the caretakers. The holidays have been especially tough for my grandmother and the rest of the family. Christmas is a big change from the normal routine, from decorations around the house to braving the stores and wrapping the presents. For someone who doesn’t remember what time of year it is, thinking it’s summer and seeing a decorated tree can be a shock. Looking back, I think Christmas 2006 was really the point when I became … Continue reading →

Different Types of Stress

Stress isn’t just stress. Researchers have identified several different kinds of stress! Stress can be divided into two basic categories: short term stress and long term stress. Each of these categories can be further broken down into different types. Types of short term stress include: Acute time-limited stressors come on suddenly (acute) and are over relatively quickly. Situations like public speaking and doing math in your head fall into this category. These things may come on without warning but are short in duration. Brief naturalistic stressors are similar — they are relatively short in duration. Think of a classroom test … Continue reading →

Aging Parents and Holiday Stress: Create Moments of Joy

Taking care of aging parents during the holiday season can add to your daily stress. Between shopping, decorating, meal planning and partying, you can get overwhelmed when you also have to add taking care of mom or dad to the mix. But elder care expert Ester Koch believes caregivers can use the holiday season to bring joy to their lives instead. She recommends that caregivers create “moments of joy” by changing their focus from all the things they do for their parents to the joyful experiences they can create for and share with them. She advises caregivers to “Become a … Continue reading →

The Pros and Cons of Hospice Care

Recent articles in the New England Journal of Medicine report that Americans are not taking advantage of high quality hospice care at the end of life. One author from Harvard Medical School points out that only a third of Americans are under hospice care when they pass away. High quality hospice care is intended to help a terminally ill person deal with pain and live the best life possible in their final days. Emotional support is just as important as medical support during this time. A recent survey found that almost all families who had experienced hospice care would strongly … Continue reading →

Preparing to Become a Caregiver

Are you prepared to be a caregiver? Several years ago, my grandmother moved in with us. She has since passed away and I will always remember her with fond memories, however there were times when I wondered if I had taken on too much. I know now that at the time I was not properly prepared to care for her and my family at the same time. At least not without pulling my hair out! It took months for me to catch on and to figure out what I should have done differently in the beginning. Her move into our … Continue reading →