Care For the Caregiver

Nearly half (53%) of all informal caregivers reporting a decline of health
affecting their ability to provide care.  In an effort to be there for the health
of a loved one, many caregivers sacrifice their own health

Caring for an aging loved one can be a challenging experience. It can be difficult to
slowly watch a family member lose their independence and often, their mental
capacities. More often than not it is a middle aged family member who takes on
the responsibility of being the primary caregiver for their parents. Without
additional support, this caregiver can quickly find themselves overwhelmed and
depressed. While many caregivers find themselves up for the challenge, others
may find it more difficult to adjust to the constant demand of being a home
care provider.

Stress and depression can come in many forms. Often, caregivers have to take a leave of absence from work, or they have to cut back their hours to be at home more often. As a result, both parties have to sacrifice and do without. The
loss of monthly capital can lead to stress as it becomes harder to pay the
monthly bills. Additionally, the loss of personal interactions with colleagues
in the workplace can leave a caregiver feeling lonely and isolated. Managing
one’s family can also be difficult and being a caregiver can also lead to
stress in the marriage and immediate family. To avoid sacrificing one’s health
and family for the care of a family member, a caregiver must provide care for
themselves first so they may be able to care for another

There are various ways for a caregiver to stay positive during the time they spend caring for someone. Rather than feeling trapped, a caregiver should do their best to encourage social interactions for both themselves and their aging parents or patients. Dinner socials, poker/bridge nights, and birthday parties should all be encouraged to maintain a festive attitude throughout the home, and to avoid it from feeling like a prison. Maintaining a clean home can help keep good spirits and inviting visitors will
give you a good reason to clean and to stay positive. The caregiver should also make an effort to invite their family to these events to help maintain closeness and to promote family interaction during this time of change.

While maintaining social interactions can help a caregiver stay healthy, many others find success by turning inwards and focusing the time on improving themselves. Some may choose to take up a hobby or learn a new skill, while
others may choose to begin an exercise regimen to improve their own health.
This can be light to moderate exercise; just enough to get your blood pumping.
Feel free to invite your aging family member to also get moving as much is
safely possible. Regardless of age, most seniors can benefit from staying
active.

Submitted by Gabriela F. Brown, CSA

Owner, Constant Companions Home Care
Website: http://www.constantcompanions.net
gbrown@constantcompanions.netPhone and Fax: 888.883.8393

Constant Companions on Why Can’t Mom Just ‘Snap Out of It’?

Last year, I received a call from Sharon, the adult daughter of a potential client, Bette. Her father, Burt, had passed away a little over a year ago from an extended battle with cancer and Bette had been his primary caregiver.  Until his passing, Bette was mobile, energetic and rarely sick. Once Burt passed away, Bette became a ‘different person’ rarely leaving the house. Her sunny, upbeat disposition had turned into an apathetic approach to everything and everyone in her life.
 Sharon shared that she admired her mother more than anyone she had ever met for being able to ‘handle anything’. She had always met life’s challenges with strength and optimism, being able to formulate a plan to overcome any obstacle put in her way. Now, she was little more than a shadow of her former self and unable to properly maintain the house, herself or any of her relationships. Sharon was concerned because she was unable to ‘snap out of it’ and Bette was beginning to decline physically.  
Because Sharon’s life was so hectic, she felt terrible that she could only get over to her mother’s house a couple of times a week, and when she got there she was overwhelmed with what needed to be done, grocery shopping, cleaning out the fridge, making sure there was easily accessible meals to be prepared and questioning whether she was taking her medications as prescribed, etc. The house itself was also being neglected severely, with the bare minimum being done to keep things going. 
While both Sharon and Bette would benefit from a home care worker, there were deeper issues that needed to be addressed. Bette had been the primary caregiver to her husband of 60+ years as he lost the battle with cancer. She had focused all of her energy and purpose into his care for several years. When he passed away, Bette faced a dual life transition. She had lost her life status as a caregiver and she was no longer Burt’s wife of 60+ years. With his death she was faced with excruciating loneliness and loss of purpose.  Her family had been there for her right after his death to help but had assumed that she was adjusting well and would be able to handle things. A year later, it was clear that what may have started out as a normal bereavement and grief period had extended beyond a healthy timeframe. At this time, she felt dependent on her family for care and this new dependence pushed her even deeper.
It is not uncommon for the ‘strong and capable’ family member in this situation to experience depression due to their history of being ‘strong and capable’. Often, those around them and they themselves have the expectation that after a ‘normal’ period of time, they will ‘pull themselves up by their boot straps’, as they always have. Paradoxically, this is the person that is least likely to ask for help may be suffering silently. It is as if they are unable to see themselves as needing any help or being unable to ask for it. Additionally, physicians tend to overlook signs of depression with seniors and many assume that depression is a normal part of loss. Old assumptions and patterns are tough to overcome.
After speaking with Sharon, I advised her to make an appointment immediately with Bette’s physician regarding her decline. She also had to have a gentle talk with her mother about the possibility of being able to see a brighter world through possible interventions of medication and counseling.
We did provide a caregiver for Bette for about 4 months. In the meantime, Bette’s doctor found the right medications and she participated in support groups. After a while, Bette turned the corner and was increasingly able to care for herself and her home again. She now does her own grocery shopping enjoys making her meal and even invites others, primarily from her support group, over for meals. Now, when her family visits, they are able to enjoy her company and provide the companionship that only family can provide. They no longer are in the role of caregiver, which is only helping to restore Bette back to her old self.
Every bereavement experience is unique, but if you have a loved one that is not improving after about two months, a visit to their physician may be in order in addition to grief counseling. Counseling and/or medications can make the fog of depression lift, allowing them to slowly begin to feel pleasure and purpose again, the two reasons we ALL need to lead a satisfying life.

 

“Elderspeak” Can Negatively Affect Health of Older People

(NaturalNews) It is quite common that many of us speak to older folks in a different manner and with a different tone. "Elderspeak" bears many traits which are similar to "baby talk", and these include simplified grammar and vocabulary, as well as overly intimate terms of endearment. And recent research has shown that such a communication style may not only be exasperating and insulting to many of the elderly, it can even negatively affect their health.

About Elderspeak

What is elderspeak? Broadly speaking, it is a style which is assumed to accommodate the perceived communication needs of elderly people. It involves speaking slowly, restrictions on vocabulary, simplified syntax, as well as exaggerated prosody.

The fundamental assumption behind elderspeak is that the elderly are cognitively impaired, and thus need some "help". It can be said to be patronizing and disrespectful to the older adult.

Researchers have also defined elderspeak as overly caring, controlling and infantilizing communication.

Findings from Studies

In a study led by Becca Levy, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, it was found that elderly folks who were exposed to negative stereotypes commonly associated with ageing, enforced by condescending phrases and attitudes, performed significantly worse when tested for memory and balance.

In one particular town in Ohio, her study team found that those who were above 50 and held positive perceptions about ageing went on to live 7.5 years longer than their peers who did not. This was after other health-affecting factors were already accounted for.

Those attitudes were affected even by apparently harmless words and phrases and, profoundly, they supposedly had a greater impact than important factors such as smoking and exercise.

Elsewhere, Kristine Williams, R.N., Ph.D., an associate professor at Kansas University, studied the effect of elderspeak on Alzheimer's patients with dementia. The interaction between staff and 20 residents of a nursing home, aged between 69 and 97 years and having moderate levels of dementia, were videotaped.

The study found that the patients were more likely to resist care after they were spoken to using elderspeak, instead of the usual adult-to-adult form of communication. When resisting care, they would carry out actions such as saying no or crying out, turning away, grabbing onto someone or something, pulling their limbs tightly toward the body, or hitting and kicking.

"There's the suggestion that these people are unable to communicate that their needs aren't being met. And because they can't communicate verbally, they may respond in these other nonverbal ways," Dr Williams said. And, according to her, the need in question could just be the wish to be treated as an adult who is worthy of respect.

And, perhaps somewhat ironically, the biggest culprits of elderspeak are often healthcare workers, including doctors and nursing staff.

The Problem with Elderspeak

The problem with elderspeak, is that it hurts the self-esteem of those to whom it is used on. Worse, it can literally grind them down and send them on a self-fueling downward spiral toward ill health and even premature death. That, after all, is what we get when we communicate to people that they are weak, a liability, incompetent or even useless – they often prove us right!

"Elderspeak is indicative of general negative stereotypes of the elderly. It is another example of how people are treated differently based on their age in healthcare, in the workforce and in everyday life. And we have found a clear connection between how the elderly are treated and their health and functioning," said Dr Levy.

The Bottomline

"Daily we are witness to, or even unwitting participants in, cruel imagery, jokes, languages and attitudes directed at older people," said Dr Robert Butler, president of the International Longevity Centre-USA, who first coined the term "ageism" some 40 years ago.

With populations ageing in the US and in many developed nations, the need to avoid elderspeak becomes all the more significant. In the US, the 85-and-above age group is the fastest-growing one.

Ms Elaine Smith, a 78 year old retired Chicago schoolteacher, who was subject to elderspeak when she was hospitalized for two months after suffering a fall, said that people can become quite indignant when she tells them she is offended by such a communication style. And she has an interesting viewpoint regarding elderspeak.

"But I believe that the people who heap these endearments upon us are reacting to their own fears of ageing in a youth-oriented culture," she said. Her advice? Get over it.

So, the next time we want to use terms such as "dear", "good girl" and "sweetie" on the elderly, or speak very slowly and in overly simplified language to them, we better think again.

Main Source

Talking down to the elderly is bad for their health, medical study finds (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/article3256340.ece)

About the author

Reuben Chow has a keen interest in natural health and healing as well as personal growth. His website, All 4 Natural Health, offers a basic guide on natural health information. It details simple, effective and natural ways, such as the use of nutrition, various herbs, herb remedies, supplements and other natural remedies, to deal with various health conditions as well as to attain good health. His other websites also cover topics such as depression help, omega 3 fatty acids, as well as cancer research and information.

 
Located and submitted by Gabriela F. Brown, CSA, Constant Companions Home Care http://www.constantcompanions.net

Hearing Loss – Bringing Seniors Back into the Conversation


 

Nearly one-third of people over the age of 65 are hard-of-hearing while nearly 50% of people over the age of 85 suffer from some form of hearing loss. Because hearing loss is usually a gradual process that begins in one's forties, it is commonly not recognized until it is significant. It is important to be able to recognize signs of hearing loss, have it diagnosed and treated.

Symptoms of hearing loss:

• Have trouble hearing over the telephone

• Find it hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking,

• Need to turn up the TV volume so loud that others complain,

• Have a problem hearing because of background noise,

• Sense that others seem to mumble, or

• Can't understand when women and children speak to you.

Hearing loss in seniors can lead to others mistakenly thinking that seniors are confused, difficult or apathetic. Additionally, the senior may be embarrassed by the loss and resist seeking out medical help. The inability to fully communicate can lead to frustration and isolation. The key here is communication and enlisting the following strategies to bring these seniors back into the conversation:

• Make sure that you are looking at the listener and you are in a well-lit area.

• Don't shout, this can often create increased sound distortion.

• If there are 2 or more people present, make sure that only one person is speaking at a time.

• Address them directly by saying their name before starting a conversation so they have time to focus.

• Many people with hearing loss rely on lip-reading. Keep your hands away from your mouth and avoid smoking, chewing gum or eating while talking.

• Slow down a little but not too much. A natural and unhurried rate of speech allows the hearing impaired person to capture more words, read lips and facial expressions.

• If one ear is better than the other, make sure you are directing your speech to the better ear.

• Hearing loss can include certain sound distortions. They may hear your voice but not be able to decipher certain words or pitches.


• Minimize extra noise in the environment when have a discussion, like turning the TV or dishwasher off.

• If possible, avoid having discussions in settings that may have sudden loud sounds like busy streets, near construction areas or near airports.

• Depending on the level and type of hearing loss, certain words are almost impossible to understand, try rephrasing the sentence or find a different word. Don't repeat the word or sentence over and over again.

• Avoid sudden changes of topic. When the subject is changed clearly state the new topic and look for acknowledgement before proceeding.

• Write specific information, such as appointments, directions and schedules down, if you are talking over the phone, have them repeat the information back as many words and numbers sound similar.

• Understand that illness or tiredness may affect any person's ability to follow a conversation.

• If the listener looks confused, clarify that they understood what you were saying.

The best course of action to take if you suspect hearing loss is to see a doctor as soon as possible to determine the cause and treatments available. If you suspect hearing loss in a senior that you are caring for or that you care about, remember to be compassionate about discussing the possibility of hearing loss. It is important to be supportive regarding the options and opportunity for treatment. Motivation for the decision to seek treatment should be to increase their quality of life by providing the ability to participate in all social interactions to the best of their ability.


Elder Care: Balancing a Loved One's Needs With Your Own


Do you provide assistance for an older person who needs care? People of all ages can be caregivers, but it is very common for older people to become caregivers to their spouses or other loved ones, and – too often – they begin to neglect their own health at an age when they should really be paying more attention to it.

Caregiving is both mentally and physically stressful, and caregivers are considered to be at increased risk for physical health problems and depression. If you are a caregiver in your senior years, it is even more important that you take care of your own health.

The Health Effects of Caregiving

Whether caring for an ailing spouse or another loved one, many caregivers become so concerned with their care-providing role that they neglect their own health, putting themselves at increased risk of:

  • Poor physical health: 16 percent of caregivers say that their health declined after they become caregivers.
  • Psychological stress: Approximately half of all people who provide Alzheimer's care, a common type of elder care, report experiencing distress. The effects of psychological stress can be widespread and may include depression, burnout, alcohol and drug use, and other problems.
  • Self-neglect: Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to eat poorly, be sleep deprived, not exercise, not rest when ill, and postpone medical appointments.
  • Death: Caregivers are at higher risk of dying than the general population.

Caring for Yourself While Providing Care

When you’re involved in the stress and chaos of providing elder care, or any type of caregiving, it can be difficult to take a step back and focus on yourself. Keep in mind: The loved one you are caring for will be the first to benefit when you make your own health a priority.

Follow these suggestions for taking care of yourself while providing elder care:

  • Participate in stress-reducing activities. Find things that you like to do to relieve the stress of caregiving. Take a yoga class, garden, meditate, or spend time with a friend. Do these activities regularly and you’ll have a better sense of control over your situation.
  • Get your own medical care. You may be spending a lot of time at the doctor with your loved one, but don't use that as an excuse to skip your own medical visits. Make sure that you are getting regular check-ups and any testing vital for your own good health.
  • Exercise regularly. Exercising will help reduce stress and keep you in good physical shape. Book regular appointments for yourself to take a brisk walk, attend an exercise class, or do some other type of physical activity that you enjoy.
  • Take breaks. It is important that you get some time away from caregiving, though this can be especially difficult if you are providing elder care for someone who needs around-the-clock attention. Don't be shy: Ask another family member to step in and help. A friend or neighbor might be willing to give you a break. Also inquire about respite care resources in your community; options include day visits or short stays at a senior care facility.
  • Practice positive self-talk. Many caregivers impose a huge burden on themselves, so it is important for your psychological health to replace negative thoughts with positive thinking. For example, instead of telling yourself, "I never do anything right," try focusing on the positive by thinking, "My aging parents enjoy spending time with me." If possible, talk about this with your loved one, who may be able to give you peace of mind by letting you know exactly what you are doing right.

As you begin to focus on your own health, you will feel more vital and energized, which will improve the quality of care you give to your loved ones.

Get more information in the Everyday Health Senior Health Center.