Resources and Tips for Family Caregivers - Page 4
Steps Caregivers Can Take to Help Prevent Falls
| April 06, 2022
25% of Americans over the age of 65 fall each year. In fact, falls are the top cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for seniors. If you are a caregiver or have an older loved one or neighbor in your life, you can take positive steps to help with fall prevention.
Read MoreSelf-Care for Caregivers: Tips for Preventing Burnout
| March 22, 2022
When you are caregiving for seniors, whether a professional caregiver or one who has chosen that role to take care of a family member, you’re at risk of burnout. Read more about the signs and symptoms, as well as tips to prevent caregiver burnout.
Read MoreThe Sandwich Generation and the Pandemic: How Life Has Changed
| March 09, 2022
The COVID pandemic of the last few years has affected almost everyone in some way. For some, those changes are much more pronounced than they are for others. One group hit particularly hard is known as the “sandwich” generation—a group of individuals who are “sandwiched” between taking care of their aging parents as well as their own children.
Read MoreSenior Alert Devices are the Perfect Caregiver Companion
| February 11, 2022
Senior alert devices are helpful for all caregivers, whether remote or living in the same home as an elderly family member. Taking care of an elderly parent can be challenging, but the difficulty grows if you live far apart or can never get any respite. In either case, medical alert devices are the perfect complement to caregiving.
Read MoreHelpful Tips for Family Caregivers to Reduce Workload & Stress
| December 22, 2021
Every caregiver should consider utilizing a personal emergency response system (PERS) in the caregiving plan. It is an especially helpful tool when you can’t be there in-person, round the clock. This solution can bring as much peace of mind to you and your family as it does to the person needing your care. Medical alert systems aren’t just for falls and medical emergencies; alarm buttons can be pressed for security concerns, fires, car accidents, or any time one feels endangered.
Read MoreThe Importance of Building Trust with Your Loved One’s Doctors
| December 20, 2021
Doctors can be some of the most important people in seniors’ lives . Caregivers and advocates take time and energy to not only make sure senior loved ones can get to their appointments, but that they feel heard, seen, and supported in that process. If you’re close to an older person, you might be called into an appointment to communicate with their doctors, and it’s importance to build trust with them.
Read MoreMr. Sandman Bring Me a Dream: Elderly Caregiver’s Guide to Sleep
| December 01, 2021
Caregiving can an extremely difficult job, and it can get even more difficult if you don’t get the sleep your body requires. Sleep is important to maintain the function of your brain and body so that you can take care of not only your needs, but the needs of your senior care receiver as well. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is a common problem among many caregivers in the United States. A study from JAMA Network found that, “Caregivers lost 2.42 to 3.50 hours of sleep each week due to difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep.” (1) When you are concerned about the well-being of your loved one, it can be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep for a variety of reasons. Whether your mind is racing worrying that they may get up and fall, or they wake you because they need help, it can be draining to try to keep up with it all.
Read MoreMental Health Tips For Seniors and Caregivers
| November 08, 2021
Many of us are concerned about our physical well-being, as well as the physical well-being of our loved ones—as we should be. As we progress through our everyday lives, we get consumed by managing the bare essentials of our health and daily needs, and can sometimes fail to address concerns related to emotional and mental well-being. Mental health is often a taboo subject in many facets of society. However, maintaining mental wellness is as important as managing physical health. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health, mental health problems affect about one-fourth of adults [in the United States] in any given year and nearly half of adults at some time during their lives. Some of the most common mental health concerns revolve around anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. They are treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, oftentimes the more quickly these kinds of issues are addressed, the more effectively they can be treated.
Read MoreCan’t-Miss Tips for Managing Compound Caregiving
| November 03, 2021
According to the AARP, “A whopping 24 percent of caregivers care for more than one adult person.”(1) Compound caregiving is defined as when a family or professional caregiver tends to the needs of more than one person at a time. It can be very tricky to find the right balance between caring for one’s own needs as well as the needs of multiple others. Our can’t-miss tips will help by providing time management techniques, assistive technologies, and stress management strategies.
Read MoreTop Ways to Maintain a Caregiver-Work-Life Balance
| September 09, 2021
Maintaining a caregiver-work-life balance can be stressful for both caregivers and their families. Learning to identify and manage caregiver burnout can improve both your life and the life of your aging loved one. It is important to seek out workplace benefits and strategies to keep your mental and physical health in check.
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