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ElderCare at Home brings you this newsletter in the spirit of cooperation and education. We hope you find this information useful and informative.
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Relax and Breathe
Being Mindful to Avoid Stress
National Stress Awareness Month
For the past few decades, April has been considered National Stress Awareness Month. Stress is understood as mental and emotional tension resulting from difficult situations and life events. Not all stress is bad. For example, if there are many exciting life events going on, you may feel a "good" kind of stress. Other examples of good stress include playing sports or exercising. Often, stress can be bad when it results from unfortunate and unexpected circumstances, like a death in the family. Bad stress can also accumulate over time when handling a serious role, like family caregiving because a loved one is ill.
As a caregiver, you are often forced to confront extremely difficult realities about a loved one's health, the end of life, and personal finances. Managing this stress can be challenging if you are balancing many other responsibilities like working and raising a family. Fortunately, there are techniques to help you manage things when times get tough.
One of the key methods many counselors suggest is mindfulness. According to the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, "[M]indfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment."[1] This is a technique that requires you to stop thinking about the past and imagining the future and to
focus on the immediate present. For instance, if you find you're worrying about things out of your control, try to recognize that you are having a stressful thought and reorient your thinking to your immediate experiences. Try asking yourself questions like "What am I doing right now?", "How do I feel in this moment?", "What kinds of things do I hear, smell, and feel?"
As Jon Kabat-Zinn writes in his well-known book,
Wherever You Go, There You Are, "The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing."[2] It means observing yourself and your behaviors while being fully present in the moment you are currently experiencing, because this moment is the only moment you have any control over. This practice is summarized simply, but it is difficult to master.
A helpful image that Jon Kabat-Zinn uses is to think of your thoughts as a river. Instead of allowing this river to take you wherever it goes, try swimming to the bank and observing the river. You may not always like the thoughts that are flowing through your mind, but being aware of these thoughts is a way to observe your mind's habits and the tendencies you have that take you away from being present.[3]
Many people find it useful to do deep breathing in order to help their mind stay present. Breathe in for four seconds and breathe out for four seconds. Make sure to count the seconds you breath as you go in and out. This technique is a very helpful way to keep your mind from getting distracted. Try doing this for 5 to 10 minutes a day.
Don't let stress control you. Only focus on the things you can control.
[1] Source: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition
[2] Kabat-Zinn, Jon,
Wherever You Go, There You Are, (New York: Hyperion, 1993).
[3] Ibid.
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Alleviate Stress with Professional Assistance
M y Ca r e g i v e r M a t c h G u a r a n t e e d
Stress can get the worst of us. A lot of the times, we can avoid feeling awful by changing some of our behaviors and responses to stress. Sometimes, there's nothing we can do and we really
do need help. If you are a family caregiver and feel that you are at your breaking point, then allow us to help. ElderCare at Home provides you with an option to find a professional caregiver to give you a break. Best of all, we
guarantee that a licensed caregiver will match your specifications.
ElderCare at Home will meet with you to learn more about you and your needs. We will be able to find a caregiver whose skills, personality traits, and expertise levels meet your requests. This ensures that you and your loved one are receiving the best quality care necessary. Caregivers not only need to have the necessary skill sets to care for your loved one, but they should also get along well with the both of you and the rest of your family. This is why ElderCare at Home takes so much care in selecting the perfect caregiver for you.
Caring for your loved one often feels like a complicated puzzle with many different pieces scattered around. ElderCare at Home can help you put some of these pieces together.
Reach out to us at anytime at (561) 585-0400.
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We're More Than Just Private Duty Home Care
Specialty Home Care Programs
 In addition to our Alzheimer's/dementia specific private duty referral services, ElderCare at Home, a licensed nurse registry, has referred caregivers who have provided exceptional care to thousands of patients through a number of specialty home care programs and our vast network of referred, independent contractors.
Each referral program allows the patient to recuperate in the place they most want to be... their own home! Most patients experience positive outcomes and are able to enjoy an improved quality of life.
ElderCare at Home is always here for you!
To learn more, reach out to us at anytime (561)585-0400.
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Being a Caregiver: 6 Things to Avoid Doing
A Video for Family Caregivers
Hello caregivers! If you are a family caregiver taking care of a loved one with dementia, then you have a firsthand understanding of the challenges caregiving can bring. See if you are struggling with any of these six behaviors, attitudes, or habits that are not conducive to good caregiving.
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| Click on the Image to Watch the Video |
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Caregiver Depression
How to Care for Your Mind and Body
Family caregiving can cause a lot of mental, physical, and emotional hardship. As a result of this stressful role, one of the most common health issues that caregivers face is depression. Not only is being a caregiver stressful, but this stress impacts other factors of your life which can predispose you to depression. In order to be the best caregiver you can be, it is crucial to take care of yourself.
Symptoms of Depression
Below are some common symptoms of depression:
- Feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Frequent tiredness
- Insomnia or changed sleeping patterns
- Loss of interests in activities that once brought pleasure
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Changed eating behaviors
- Unable to regulate emotions, such as anger
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating and thinking
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts at suicide
- Physical problems that are not solved by medical treatment, such as recurring headaches[1]
Why Caregiving Puts You at Risk for Depression
There are many biological factors that contribute to depression that are out of our control. Depression may be connected to our genetics, the way our brains are wired, and our past experiences.
[2] But the stresses of caregiving can get in the way of physical exercise, sleep, eating healthy foods, and maintaining social relationships. Any deficiencies in these activities can have consequences on mental health since maintaining these activities can help you avoid depression. For instance, suffering from insomnia, or the inability to sleep, can make you more likely to be depressed.
[3] Additionally, the time constraints that caregiving imposes on you can cause you to resort to quick and convenient fast foods, and it can leave you little time for physical exercise. Eating healthy and exercising are one of the most crucial ways to promote good mental health. Lastly, caregiving can be a very isolating experience, leading to loneliness and reduced social interaction. Current research is now exploring the benefits that socializing with other people, in person, can promote good mental health.
[4]
Caregiving radically changes the rhythm and routine of your everyday life. It is, therefore, important to be aware of how such changes can lead to serious health problems like depression.
Preventative Measures?
Since caregiving can often get in the way of activities that are healthy for you, it is important to be aware of what you can do to help prevent depression:
- Make sleep a priority: Get at least 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. Avoid using bright phones or computer monitors before bed as this can negatively impact sleep quality. To help you fall asleep, set aside 10 minutes in bed to do deep breathing and meditation. Or write down everything that is bogging you down on a notepad and set it aside before you go to bed. This will help you put aside stressful thoughts and allow you to compartmentalize your priorities.
- Socialize: Try your hardest to keep in touch with close friends and family members with whom you get along. Being part of a supportive network of people is important to promote mental health. Try seeking out local clubs or groups in your community who participate in a cause or hobby you enjoy.
- Exercise: It is important to stay active to support your physical and mental health. Aim for three times a week. Choose an activity that you are able to do, like walking, swimming, jogging, etc. and perform this exercise for about 30 minutes. Exercise will help you stay happier because it releases serotonin and dopamine, promoting happiness.
- Take time for yourself: Taking time for yourself can either mean spending some quality alone time or pursuing any of the activities listed above. Give yourself space from stressful situations so you can revitalize yourself.
- See a mental health counselor: Seeing a mental health counselor is as important as getting regular checkups from your primary care physician. A mental health counselor can give you methods and techniques to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. They can also be an objective third party to rely one to help you think through difficult situations. If you have health insurance, talk to your insurance companies to see if you qualify for mental health visits.
Caregiving Assistance
One last option, to help you alleviate the burden of caregiving, is to hire a professional caregiver to help out. Nurse Registries like
ElderCare at Home refer licensed caregivers who are qualified to care for your loved one. You can set your own schedule to determine how often you need help. You might find that having a professional caregiver for a few hours a week can make all the difference. Feel free to call us at
800-285-0093
with questions or visit our
website
to learn more.
[1] Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/depression/basics/symptoms/con-20032977
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Client Referral Program
A Promotional Offer From ElderCare at Home
ElderCare at Home would like to thank you!
As you know, our mission is to help seniors live confidently and age gracefully at home for as long as possible. We are continually working to educate the community about the services that we provide. However, it is often difficult to get this information to everyone.
ElderCare at Home would like to ask for your help in this endeavor. If you know of anyone who could benefit from our services, simply give them one of our Client Referral Program flyers with your name written on it and prompt them to schedule a FREE assessment. If they retain our services, we will give each of you 15% off a week's worth of services*!
Thank you so much for your help! We really appreciate it.
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Taking a Rest: Family Caregiving and the Need for Time Off
An Ar
ticle from the ElderCare at Home Blog
If you are providing care for a loved one suffering from a neurological disorder, then it is essential to give yourself some rest. There are many reasons to take breaks from caregiving because the role of a family caregiver is a tiring one. This blog will help you consider some ideas for relief. [. . .]
For more information regarding Alzheimer's
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"7 Rules of Life"
Photos from the ElderCare at Home's Facebook Page
For more great posts like this, follow
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Caregiver Support Groups
Open Support Groups for Family Caregivers
Caring for someone that has Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other cognitive impairment is hard. These support groups are attended by caregivers who are struggling with all kinds of different challenges and emotions.
ElderCare at Home in cooperation with the Alzheimer's Care Resource Center, facilitates more than 17 Caregiver Support Groups throughout the Palm Beach County area (Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Delray Beach and Boca Raton)
Our Alzheimer's caregiver support groups are different! Our caregivers are able to come together and share in a warm, relaxed and nurturing environment.
We also offer a monthly telephone support group for all Alzheimer's caregivers who are either unable to attend in person, or live out of state.
Call (561) 588-4545 to RSVP
for any of the support groups listed.
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Career Opportunities
Accepting New CNA and HHA Registrations
We are currently recruiting independent contractors who not
only enjoy working with the memory impaired, but who have an interest in making a difference in the lives of the patients and families they serve.
Do you have these qualities?
- Experience
- Compassion
- Loyalty
- Commitment
- Kindness
- Professionalism
Referral opportunities are available throughout South Florida.We've been helping
caregivers like you
find employment for over 17 years. As an Independent Contractor, you tell us exactly where you want to
work; how many hours you can devote to your clients; and the type of caregiving situations you are looking for!
Call us Today (561) 585-0400 or Apply Online
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The Best Compliment
Refer Your Friends and Family
The best compliment you can give us is the referral of your friends and family! We always appreciate referrals from our satisfied clients to friends and family members or professional resources. To send us a referral, simply call (561) 585-0400. Thank you! We welcome the opportunity to serve the people you care about. |
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