6 Ways To Deal With Long Distance Caregiver Guilt

April 19, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Caregiving is difficult. But when you add in trying to perform the duties required from hundreds of miles away, the struggle is amplified. You start to question everything.

Am I visiting enough?
Am I doing enough?

Even your parents can contribute to these feelings, sometimes unknowingly, by complaining or sounding pitiful on the phone. “Oh, you know me, I’ll be just fine.”

Even in the best of circumstances, caregiving is accompanied by a sense of guilt. But when you’re not present for all that is required on a daily basis, these feelings quickly escalate. However, it is important to understand that it’s okay to have these feelings. It’s how you address them that impacts your experience as a caregiver. [Read more…]

8 Ways To Create Simple Joys In Your Life

March 2, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Caregiving can be a mind-numbing experience. Every day brings more of the same, until you’re sure you’re going to crack under the pressure.

While routine may be a good thing for the person you are caring for, it doesn’t mean that you should accept more of the same every day. Small changes can do wondrous things for your attitude. Simple joys can give you a new lease on life.

Turn off the news, television, and computer

Television has become a full time babysitter, especially for those that stay close to home. But how many more cooking shows can you truly watch? Why not put what you’ve learned into practice instead? Pick up a cookbook and give a new recipe a try. Experiment with different recipes to find the best in a category – the best eggplant parmesan recipe, for example. Give the person you are caring for a chore or two. Whether it’s mixing and chopping, or simply enjoying the food, you’ll both enjoy a few hours doing something new.

Take a class

Everyone has a hobby or something they are interested in. When was the last time you picked up your knitting needles? Or tried your hand at scrapbooking? Now is the time to actually do it. Take the plunge and take a class. In some cases, you won’t even have to leave home. A quick search can bring up a wealth of information on any subject you can imagine. You can also search sites like Udemy to learn a new skill online.

Have lunch with an old friend

The Internet has made it easier than ever to get in touch with people from your past. This includes the person you are caring for. Is there someone you would both enjoy visiting and having lunch with? Even if you live far away, try having lunch through technology – Skype, Facetime or Google makes it easy to chat from anywhere in the world. [Read more…]

Surviving Caregiver Syndrome

September 27, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard the stories before.

A couple enters a caregiving situation. Eventually, the person receiving care stabilizes. But the caregiver’s health begins to worsen and decline. Rapidly, both enter a situation where they are in need of care. And in some cases, the care recipient outlives the caregiver.

Most people don’t enter a caregiving role thinking they will be putting their own health in harm’s way. Yet for most people, entering the world of caregiving puts them into a lifestyle with chronic high stress, a high risk for illness, and an ever-growing reduction in self-care leaves them vulnerable in many ways.

Caregivers tend to be big hearted. They are highly motived, extremely involved, responsible and well-intentioned. They give everything they have to the task at hand, and when something gives (and it always does) it’s usually their own health that is first in line.

If you’re used to putting the needs of everyone else ahead of your own, how can you shift?

First, understand the connection. [Read more…]

The Caregivers Balancing Act

September 20, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

For many caregivers, they are of similar age to the person they are caring for. It’s especially true when a husband or wife suddenly finds themselves in the caregiving role.

While on some levels we expect to be there and provide all our loved one needs, what we don’t anticipate is how suddenly we can feel overwhelmed by the life in front of us.

As a spouse or partner, you are probably of similar age. You may have arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, or another chronic condition that brings about its own challenges. And before you know it, caregiving and self-care suddenly begin competing for your time.

And we all know which one usually wins.

How can you balance your own needs with the growing demands of your spouse?

In many ways, it’s no different than how you lived in the past. It’s a matter of simply making the time for the two of you. Ensuring each of your needs are met, given the time and priority they deserve. [Read more…]

Creating A Care Plan As A Family Caregiver

July 12, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Caregiving. It’s a natural part of aging, with most of us needing some level of care at some point in our lives.

But for most, we fall into the caregiving role almost by accident. And even once we get there, we do it on an as-needed basis. With close to 35 million unpaid caregivers currently in the US, an overwhelming majority of them (76 percent) state their caregiving plans could be improved, according to AgingCare.com’s 2015 Care Plan Survey.

It also shows that more than half (51 percent) of caregivers report having no plan to manage their responsibilities. And of those with a plan, 41 percent have no support from family or professional help.

Being an effective family caregiver means laying out your future plans to give you an inventory list of things to do. Especially as time goes on, the more planning you do, the less stress you will feel about both daily activities and long term care issues.

What should your plan include? [Read more…]

Dealing With Emergencies – A Caregivers Checklist

December 30, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

The day to day life of being a caregiver is hard. As a caregiver, you know that emergencies can arise in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re planning a casual lunch for two, the next you’re in the emergency room dealing with complications.

Emergencies can come about in many forms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three seniors suffers from a fall each year, leading to both nonfatal and fatal risks. Add in other ailments such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, and your caregiving skills can quickly escalate to overwhelm at a moments notice.

While nothing will take away the emotional trauma you’ll face in an emergency situation, you can be prepared. Being prepared means any situation you face will run as smooth as possible.

Have All Your Facts

The most important thing you can have at hand is information. In any type of emergency situation, facts can save precious time. No matter if you are at home, or are traveling far from home, always have easy access to vital information for the person you are caring for, including:

Date of birth
Social Security Number
Insurance information
All medicines and dosage
Doctors and specialists
Results of tests
Dates of recent visits
Medical conditions
Brief medical history
Living wills and health care proxies

With todays technology, its easier than ever to be prepared wherever you go with an app. Try Prime. It helps families coordinate all health care information in one easy place. [Read more…]

Holiday Safety Tips As A Caregiver

December 15, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Christmas carols. Holiday lights. Festivities abound.

Many love this time of year for all it brings. It’s a time to bring families together and share; from parties, to get togethers, to overnight celebrations.

It’s also the perfect time of the year for potential problems.

As a caregiver, your jobs are many. But at this time of the year, you’ll have to work a little harder and think a little differently in order to keep your loved one and those around him or her safe in the process.

Snow Shoveling

Snow shoveling brings a variety of potential problems. First and foremost, if you are providing care for a loved one on a part time basis, they may try and help out when they can. Many seniors head outside to shovel snow and clear off ice, especially to the areas they use most. Like to the garage for access to the car, or to the mailbox to pick up mail. Snow shoveling can cause a injuries to the knees, arms and back if you lift incorrectly. It also puts a person more at risk for slips and falls. If at all possible, clear walkways as quickly as possible, or hire it out to a service or a neighbor or friend.

After the walkways have been cleared, it’s also important to keep them clear of ice and snow. Even a small amount of ice can be deadly if someone slips and falls. Use ice melt to reduce ice potential and eliminate hazards as quickly as possible. [Read more…]

The Daily Discipline Of Being A Caregiver

December 8, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Think about all you do during the day, from the moment you rise until you crawl back into bed. What things come to mind?

Did you think things like:

Getting my loved one up and ready for the day
Getting my loved one to doctors appointments
Getting meals prepared that my loved one will eat

In other words, did all of your daily tasks revolve around caring for your loved one?

For many caregivers, it’s true. From the moment they rise, their mind drifts from one moment to the next, always thinking about the next thing they must accomplish to keep the person they are caring for safe, comfortable and secure.

Yet they are missing one crucial element to making it all work. Themselves.

The daily discipline of being a caregiver doesn’t just involve the needs of the person you are caring for, it also encompasses your needs. And if your plans aren’t as high priority as the needs of the one you are caring for, you are setting yourself up for difficulty. [Read more…]

There Is Too Much To Do: Living With Caregiver Anxiety

December 1, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Ever feel like you’re having one of those days? You know, a day where you have a million things to do, and simply not enough time in the day to get it all done?

When it’s just you, that process can be frustrating at best. But when you have all of your own projects and to-do lists on the table, and you add in the lists of the person you are providing care for too, anxiety levels can skyrocket.

You have to respond to their every need; you’re a caregiver. But what about your own?

There are many tools and techniques you can use to help reduce your anxiety levels effectively. Here are a few ways to start right here, right now.

Take a deep breath

Sounds easy enough. And you’ve probably heard this advice from many people. But the simple truth is it works. The more anxious you are, the more your body tightens, and the shallower your breathing becomes. By focusing in on your breathing and taking a deep breath that engages your diaphragm, you’ll find a powerful way to get your body to relax. It helps your body go from fight-or-flight response to one that is more relaxed and can think more clearly.

Don’t stop with one deep breath. Instead, take the time for three or four. Try inhaling to a count of four, holding it, then breathing out for a count of four. By repeating this several times, you can feel the anxiety decreasing, and you can feel your mind come back into focus to face the challenge currently on your plate. [Read more…]

Tips For Working At Home While Caregiving

November 24, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

If you are feeling pulled in different directions by your demands as a caregiver and your demands at work, you’re not alone. According to a recent study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 60 percent of the 43.5 million caregivers throughout the US worked while providing care, with over 56 percent of them working full time.

Businesses are only just starting to realize the implications caregiving has on productivity. And as more employers move to a more flexible environment, we’ll begin seeing more people than ever working from home.

For many positions, working from home makes sense. You can be productive and get things done, all the while being there for when the person you are caring for when they need you the most.

While working from home may seem like a dream come true, it isn’t without its own drawbacks. Working from home can be difficult if you don’t establish boundaries from the very beginning.

Have Set Hours

Does your loved one prefer to sleep in? It may be easier for you to rise early and have several hours of uninterrupted work time before your caregiving role kicks in. You may also need set hours during the day in which you can be easily contacted by people in the office, clients, or even vendors you deal with on a regular basis. By setting your work hours, you can express them with people at the office and people that know you are at home. Including the person you are caring for. It helps you stick with a schedule and makes your work life easier. [Read more…]