Caregivers of Older Adults Blog | Caregiver Info (18)

“Caregiving is universal. There are only four kinds of people in the world: 
those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers,
and those who will need caregivers.”  Rosalyn Carter

Becoming a caregiver to another person is not only labor and time-intensive but it also comes with a significant amount of responsibility. Are you caring for a family member? Are you a professional caregiver caring for someone on a daily basis? Or, are you just a loyal and trusted friend who has taken on the responsibility of caring for someone in need? Regardless of who you are caring for and your own personal caregiving circumstances, it is essential to care for the caregiver while caring for another person. Caring for yourself could simply mean accepting help from others or taking time for yourself away from your caregiver responsibilities.  

While caring for a loved one offers a unique sense of fulfillment, it also comes with many responsibilities. According to "Stress in America: Our Health at Risk," a study from the American Psychological Association, more than half of all caregivers feel overwhelmed. Not only that, but they are far more likely to feel stress -- and its consequences -- than those who are not caring for someone. Read on to learn what you need to know about caregiver stress and how you can combat it in your own life.

Caregiving offers fulfillment, but it's also hard work.

The Facts on Stress and Caregiving
Do you lay awake at night? Binge eat or miss meals? Skip routine doctor check-ups? If so, you're not alone. Unfortunately, these behaviors are common in caregivers and can lead to long-term consequences.

While caregiving is incredibly rewarding, it comes with a distinct set of psychological, emotional, and intellectual challenges. From dealing with the grief of losing a patient or watching your loved one decline, to ensuring meticulous oversight of medications, caregiving is challenging and can take its toll on both professional and family caregivers. Fortunately, there are a plethora of resources available to guide, educate and offfer help for caregivers. Here's a list of the top four resources available that can help you to succeed in your role as a caregiver.

For many caregivers, the time eventually comes when professional help is needed. Perhaps for just some much-needed respite for the primary caregiver or maybe full-time professional help is needed daily. Regardless of the circumstances, many people are immobilized by the process. How do you choose? What do I need in a private duty caregiver?  There's no one-size-fits-all solution for your individual needs and circumstances; rather, a variety of factors go into identifying a professional caregiver and/or in-home caregiving agency. However, understanding the traits, characteristics, and habits of the most successful caregivers can help you find a caregiver sure to make a significant contribution. Let's take a closer look at six beneficial caregiver traits of a good private duty caregiver.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can feel overwhelming, and early treatment is essential to ensuring access to the very best care. If your aging loved one has recently received an Alzheimer's diagnosis and is in the beginning stages of the illness, here's what you need to know.

Grief is a fact of life: nearly everyone has to deal with loss during their lifetime. Grief doesn't just pertain to the death of a loved one, it can occur in response to the loss of anything dear to a person -- from a family pet to a job, to divorce or the loss of a home. Unfortunately, seniors are particularly vulnerable to grief...and its complications.

While grief is natural, it's also largely individualistic: there's no right or wrong way to grieve, although some methods can help the grieving process while others can hinder it. If your aging loved one is experiencing the sadness associated with loss, here are some things you can do to help facilitate the grieving -- and healing -- process.

While proper nutrition is an essential part of helping your aging loved one stay healthy, getting seniors to make the right food choices can be a challenge. Factor in misleading packaging geared to misrepresent a product's contents, and food labels become even more important. Caregivers can help older loved ones meet their daily nutritional needs -- while also acknowledging dietary restrictions -- by understanding and using Nutrition Facts labels. This is especially important when caring for someone with diabetes. Here's what you need to know. 

Nutrition Facts are a caregiver's best friend.

Serving Size Matters
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that serving size and number of servings are the first place to look when inspecting a product's Nutrition Facts label. After all, the size of the package itself is less significant than how many servings are contained in the food package. 

For example, if there are three servings in a bag of potato chips, but you eat the entire bag in one sitting you've had three times the serving...and triple the calories and nutrients. 

Caring for a loved one living with and dying of a terminal illness is a challenging yet worthwhile experience. Offering physical, mental and emotional comfort during this difficult time is a significant responsibility, but a worthy one. Read on to learn more about end-of-life care, along with how you can best help your loved one have a peaceful transition.

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults aged 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Considering that a third of senior citizens fall every year, it's no surprise that falls and fear of falling are a serious concern for seniors and their caregivers. Read on to learn about ways to prevent falls and boost independence through fall-prevention techniques. 

Understanding the Facts

Of the 2.3 million injuries that occur each year due to falls, just under 700,000 of them require hospitalization. Common injuries include hip fractures, lacerations, and head traumas. 

Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and fractures. But it's not just the injured who walk away with scars. As they age, many seniors develop an immobilizing fear of falling. If left untreated, this can have dire consequences, including a debilitating decline in mobility. A corresponding decline in fitness further increases a senior's risk of falling while also increasing the odds of isolation and depression.

Nearly 800,000 Americans have strokes every year, according to the Internet Stroke Center. Of these, more than 140,000 people die annually. In fact, stroke is the top cause of long-term disability in the U.S., and the third leading cause of death. While these numbers can be frightening, there's hope: the more quickly treatment occurs, the lower the risk of serious, long-term injury. This caregiver training information is valuable information for recognizing the signs of a stroke and understanding the need to act quickly to minimize damage. 

Educating yourself about stroke symptoms can lead to a brighter future for stroke victims. Scroll down for free helpful videos you can view today. 

What is a Stroke?

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted. The majority of strokes are ischemic, which means they are caused by an abrupt arterial blockage. Hemorrhagic strokes, meanwhile, occur when a blood vessel bursts causing bleeding in the brain. 

The effects of a stroke vary depending on the location and severity of the injury, and damage may be either temporary or permanent. 

Warning Signs

Vigilant caregivers can help promote optimal outcomes by quickly identifying symptoms in order to hasten treatment. Warning signs include: