For those caregivers who are dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, there is a new program available that can connect caregivers with these diseases. The program is conducted in the caregiver’s home and involves teaching the caregiver various ways to improve the quality of life for the seniors they care for.
1. The program was developed by Ellen Phipps. Specialists will visit the home of a caregiver one time a week and teach them how to set up activity stations.
2. The stations can include painting, gardening or any activity that would be meaningful for the Alzheimer patient.
3. As the number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s continue to grow, additional support for caregivers is needed. More than 85 percent of people receiving services from a caregiver are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
4. It is believed that 1 in every 10 individuals over the age of 65 and 50% of those over 85 may have Alzheimer’s or dementia.
5. The goal of the new support program is to teach caregivers how to provide activities that can add meaning to the life of a senior.
6. The program is geared towards those with all levels of dementia and will help them improve their levels of functioning.
The role of a caregiver is far from glamorous and often includes extreme exhaustion, frustration, anxiety and stress. To help with these common problems, caregivers must learn how to care for themselves before they can effectively provide care to a senior. By taking the time to implement the following tips, you will be able to maintain your physical and emotional health.
1. Always watch for and observe the signs of burnout, lack of motivation and sadness. You should also be aware of your sleep patterns and how well you can maintain control over common situations.
2. Do not strive for perfection. This is not the time to be a stellar housekeeper or a hostess. It is a time to set priorities. Do not allow others to add to your list of priorities.
3. It is ok to put things off until later. Not everything can be done in a single day.
4. Learn how to ask for help. There is no reason for you to have to manage all of the responsibilities. Ask a family member or friend for help if you need it.
5. Make sure to learn about the illness you are dealing with. If the senior has Alzheimer’s, become familiar with the disease. This can help you provide better care and can reduce your own stress levels.
6. Allow time for yourself and know it is okay to take a break.
Being in the role of a caregiver can create high levels of stress. Now, there are a variety of apps on the Smartphone that can be of great use to caregivers. These apps can help a caregiver keep track of many things that are related to the care of a senior. The following list contains five new apps that caregivers are making us of on their Smartphone.
1. Tell My Geo is a personal-health-record app that will allow healthcare providers to access medical history through a Smartphone. The app also has a GPS locater. It is available from Android for $9.95 per month. This is a great app for seniors in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
2. Personal Caregiver is from iPhone at no charge. This app helps seniors and caregivers keep track of medications. Since many seniors take multiple medications at different times during the day, this app can be very helpful.
3. Pain Care is also a free app that has won numerous awards. This app helps seniors communicate their level of pain. This is a great app for seniors who cannot speak because of a certain medical condition.
4. iBioMed is an app that contains a treatment log book for therapies, diets, medications, test results and allergies. It is a portable medical record that has a time-stamped journal.
5. Public Speech is a free app that can help caregivers record the reminiscences of a senior who may not be with us for much longer. This app makes for a great activity that will engage seniors and allow them to record memories and their life stories.
The holidays are a great time for adult children, and even grandchildren to help seniors get up to date on technology. Many seniors have electronic items in their home that they are unfamiliar with. They may not even attempt to use them because they cannot figure them out. By taking some time to teach seniors a few things about technological items, they will be able to enjoy the items they have.
1. Most seniors have a computer in the home but only use it to send emails. There are even some seniors who are not online. Setting up an email account is a great way to enable seniors to stay in touch with friends and family members. For those who already have email, show them some of the other things they can do online, such as looking up important medical information.
2. Most seniors have cell phones, but they do not know how to enter contact information. Take some time to set up their phone book and show them how to navigate through the menu on their phone.
3. Programming remotes may seem like a simple task for most people, but seniors often have trouble with this. Instead of programming it for them, walk through the steps and teach them how to do it. The smile and glimmer in their eyes when they finally “get it” will be very rewarding!
The baby boomer generation has redefined each stage of life and is now entering their golden years. As this generation heads into the senior years, there are many concerns in regards to health, finances and family. One of the major concerns for baby boomers is the current health car system. The following list contains additional information for those going into their senior years.
1. More than 59% of American Baby Boomers have a serious concern about the health care system that is in place. The majority of these individuals believe their generation will overload the system.
2. A large portion of Baby Boomers will work past the retirement age in fear of possible financial restraints. Baby Boomers are actually being encouraged to continue working for as long as they can.
3. 69% of working Americans feel it is their responsibility to provide for people of the generations that came before them.
4. These statistics were gathered from a study that was conducted by the Home Instead Family Care network. 1029 American adults participated in the study. The information paints a picture of what members of the Baby Boomer generation will face as they enter retirement.
Being a Boston caregiver is one of the most stressful positions you will find yourself in. Since there are so many responsibilities that come with the job, most caregivers feel tremendous amounts of anxiety and stress. To make things a little easier, the list below offers some tips that can help while caring for a senior.
1. Never be afraid to ask for help. There will be a lot of responsibilities as a caregiver, but it is not required for one single person to handle everything. Ask friends and family members for help when things get too stressful.
2. Always encourage the senior to be involved in activities. There are bound to be some activities that the elderly individual enjoys doing, so make these a priority. There are many adult day care centers that can be helpful. This is a great way to know your loved senior is being taken care of and interacting with others. Be sure to make sure the senior has plenty of family involvement as well. Perhaps a family card night or movie night. Something that will keep the senior connected with others in the family will be beneficial.
3. When caring for an elderly family member, it is very important to stay in communication with the medical team. Knowing what is going on in terms of health will make the task of providing care much simpler. Always ask questions of the doctors if you do not understand something. They are also a great resource and can lead you in directions for finding other support services.
Many people have a hard time buying a gift for an elderly loved one. This does not have to be as difficult as people make it out to be. In fact, buying gifts that are practical is the best way to go. Boston seniors will be appreciative of gifts they can use on a daily basis. To help with holiday shopping, the following list offers some simple suggestions for gifts to senior family members.
1. Blankets and throws will always be a great gift. Many seniors feel chilled and will enjoy being able to wrap up in a warm blanket.
2. Slippers and new socks are great gifts as well. While they may not seem like such a huge thing, seniors need to keep their feet warm and most seniors will wear their slippers all year long.
3. Many older women will enjoy receiving some lotions and bath soaps. However, before buying these, make sure the senior has no allergies to certain scents.
4. Bath robes and new pajamas will be useful and appreciated. Warm winter clothing such as sweaters, pants and thermal underwear make nice senior gifts.
5. Many seniors have trouble seeing, yet they enjoy reading and doing puzzles. If you can find books that are large print, make sure to include these as a gift.
6. Most seniors are living on a very tight budget. Giving a gift card to a supermarket or discount store will be very helpful, allowing the senior to buy some food or items for the home.
With the Christmas season right around the corner in Boston, many people will be looking for the perfect gift for seniors. However, this can often be a challenge. It is hard to determine what seniors actually want and need, so shopping for the perfect gift can seem like an endless chore. The list below offers some great tips on buying a gift for a senior. These gifts are affordable and can offer many benefits to seniors.
1. Blankets and throws will always be a great gift. Many seniors feel chilled and will enjoy being able to wrap up in a warm blanket.
2. Slippers and new socks are great gifts as well. While they may not seem like such a huge thing, seniors need to keep their feet warm and most seniors will wear their slippers all year long.
3. Many older women will enjoy receiving some lotions and bath soaps. However, before buying these, make sure the senior has no allergies to certain scents.
4. Bath robes and new pajamas will be useful and appreciated. Warm winter clothing such as sweaters, pants and thermal underwear make nice senior gifts.
5. Many seniors have trouble seeing, yet they enjoy reading and doing puzzles. If you can find books that are large print, make sure to include these as a gift.
6. Most seniors are living on a very tight budget. Giving a gift card to a supermarket or discount store will be very helpful, allowing the senior to buy some food or items for the home.
When seniors develop chronic medical conditions, the stress levels of the caregivers involved will increase. Being a caregiver is a tense and exhausting position to fill. Boston, Massachusetts caregivers who have to care for an elderly family member with a chronic illness or disease will feel much more stress. There will be additional responsibilities and other pressures that will be necessary to maintain the health and well being of the senior. The following list discusses this issue in more detail. Chronic illnesses will increase physical stress for the caregiver. There are various symptoms of stress that all caregivers should know about, including anger, depression, exhaustion, guilt, denial, irritability and being dissatisfied with life in general.
The levels of stress will vary depending on the actual illness. This is because certain illnesses will require more care and will place more responsibility on the caregiver.
The causes of physical and emotional stress include physical changes that have side effects, the inability to work, changes in personal relationships and financial demands due to the needs of health care.
To help alleviate stress, caregivers should take frequent breaks. Taking a day off here and there is also a good idea. Make sure to care for your own health, physically and emotionally and always know what your limits are.
Caregivers should not be afraid to ask for help if they begin getting stressed. Asking family members for some help and support can make a world of difference and can reduce the responsibilities of caring for a senior with chronic illness. It can also help prevent and reduce existing stress.
It is a known fact that most caregivers will make many sacrifices while they are caring for an elderly family member or friend. These sacrifices often interfere with the caregivers personal life. Most caregivers will not take time for themselves because they are too busy caring for another. The following information in about one caregiver who was rewarded for her great sacrifices.
A caregiver recently was the winner of a cruise giveaway from Home instead Senior Care. The cruise sets sail on January 3, 2011 and lasts for five days. The cruise is part of the Caregiver stress Management Cruise program.
Openseas Travel is working with Celebrity Cruise Line to award various caregivers for their efforts in making ultimate sacrifices to care for another elderly adult.
Free cruses are awarded to those who enter a drawing put o by Home Instead Senior Care. Winners of the cruise will be able to receive 40 hours of free care through Home Instead senior Care franchises.
Offering a free cruise is one way to pay tribute to those who take time from their own lives to provide care and services for elderly adults in need. This is one way that Home Instead senior Care takes time to notice the efforts of all caregivers and offer them a rewarding experience and time to connect with themselves and their family again.
