Caregiver 101
Tips for Organizing a Medical History
A trip to the emergency room made me realize why caregivers are advised to organize heath information.
Fearless Caregiver Emotional First Aid Kit
You can find respite from your caregiving in the simplest things.
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Caring At Work
Are you one of the 65 million Americans who care for a family member? One of the 20-50% of employees who tend to a loved one before going to work, then return to care again after a long hard day on the job?
What the First-time Caregiver Needs to Know
Everyone ages, and there comes a time when older or ailing loved ones need help. Oftentimes friends or family members rise to the occasion to assist them. If you’re one of those first-time family caregivers, you are not alone.
Top Ten Ways To Care For Yourself
1. Keep a journal. Start today. Describe your fears as well as your hopes, the reality of what each day is like
Five Simple Steps to Create a Safer Environment for Seniors
On behalf of the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), I encourage caregivers to familiarize themselves with some basic tips to help maximize the safety of the seniors in their care while minimizing the risks associated with electricity.
Caregiver Guilt and Finding Balance
How do you find the balance? Is there a balance? Am I doing the right thing? Should I be doing more? These are important questions for a caregiver.
Emotional Fatigue
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, said there are four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those
I'm Fine, Thanks
That is the life of a caregiver. You are always fine because the focus is always on the person that you care for. You are “just fine” because if you think of allowing yourself to be anything other than fine, your legs will come out from under you.
Do you have what it takes to be a caregiver?
The time has come when a family member needs assistance and you’re struggling to understand what will be needed of you as you move into the role of full- or part-time caregiver.
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Nip Depression in the Bud
Warning Signs to Look For Caregivers need to be especially aware of depression because of the great load they carry.
When Caregiving is Not Enough - Finding Good Homecare
Anyone who has ever looked for home-based care for a loved one comprehends what a daunting experience it can be.
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After Caregiving: Picking Up The Pieces
As a caregiver, we totally commit ourselves to caring for another person who no longer functions as they once did in the normal scheme of life. We move in with them or move them to us.
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Guilt-Free Caregiving
I read a comment in a publication by Catholic Family Services in Michigan about caregiving: “As a caregiver, you are consumed by guilt, doom, fear, hopelessness and even helplessness.”
Forty-Eight Mental Breaks for Caregivers
Caregiving takes a lot of time. Even if you had spare time to daydream in the first place, it’s probably gone now. However you must give yourself a mental break once in a while.
The Caregiver’s Balancing Act
In the 1960s, TV celebrity Ed Sullivan featured a Chinese talent artist who demonstrated the careful balance and timing of spinning porcelain plates atop thin, wooden sticks.
The Caregiver’s First-Aid Kit
A “Caregiver First-Aid Kit” is a reminder of the special significance caregivers have in their role caring for a loved one.
©Cathy Yeulet /123RF.COM
Some Things I Have Learned
I have learned to learn about the illness. In my case, I have learned about 11 illnesses only to find that any one of them may crop up and have symptoms at any time and last for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days or even months.
Trust Your Instincts
Adult Day Care is a community-based program. There are more than 4,000 centers across the country with more than 78 percent operating on a non-profit basis.
Ten Ways to Maintain a Positive Attitude
1. Learn healthy ways to manage your stress
