How Caregivers Can Prioritize Privacy

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A woman who knows how caregivers can prioritize privacy smiles as she reads a book and holds a cup of coffee in a sunny room.

It’s vitally important to know how caregivers can prioritize privacy to achieve a healthy life balance.

Reflect back to your teenage years. Remember how important it was to find a safe place to be on your own, to shut out the world, turn the music up, and write your most secret thoughts in your diary?

The desire for privacy that began then can become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. Yet it is still extremely important to know how caregivers can prioritize privacy, both physically and mentally, to take time for self-care.

How Can a Caregiver Prioritize Privacy?

Frankly, it isn’t always easy. You might feel as though you need to always have at least one ear and eye open to the needs of the person in your care. There are several steps you can take to help, however. Try:

  • Designating a spot of privacy for both yourself and the older adult. After all, they need privacy as much as you do. Agree that whenever either of you needs some alone time, you can retreat to your chosen spot and only interrupt one another in case of an urgent situation.
  • Determining house rules. In shared living spaces, put together some basic rules of etiquette that are fair for everyone. For example, take turns choosing TV shows to watch, so one person isn’t monopolizing the remote. Compromises similar to this can make together time less stressful for everyone.
  • Considering emotional privacy. Make sure to take frequent breaks from care that allow you time to disconnect completely from your care role. Go on trips, attend events and activities with other friends and family members, take a book to the park for a stress-free afternoon. Responsive Home Care’s care experts are always on hand to fill your caregiving shoes when you take some time for self-care.

Special Considerations for Dementia

If the person in your care is struggling with the challenges of dementia, finding privacy becomes more challenging – and much more vital to obtain. The person may need 24/7 oversight to ensure safety, but this doesn’t mean that you should (or can) provide that level of care yourself.

We frequently hear from primary family caregivers that there is not anyone in their circle of close friends and family who knows the senior or the requirements of dementia care well enough to assist. This is when our specially trained and experienced dementia caregivers are an invaluable part of your care team. We can partner with you to ensure the seamless, reliable, skilled care a senior with dementia needs, while you take the regular breaks from care you need.

Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for further tips on how caregivers can prioritize privacy and find help in acquiring a healthier life balance. Our personalized home care services are offered in Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and the surrounding areas.

Understanding the Red Flags of Caregiver PTSD

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A female family caregiver sits on couch with knees pulled up and head buried in her arms on top of her knees.

What are the red flags of caregiver PTSD and how can family caregivers get help?

If you think PTSD only happens to individuals who have experienced life-threatening danger, think again. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can occur after any traumatic event or experience. It may surprise you to discover that providing care for a loved one is one of the main causes of PTSD. Nevertheless, the condition frequently goes undetected, and thus untreated. This is because the individual receiving care is normally the primary focus of both healthcare providers and the family at large.

As a family caregiver, it is important to know the red flags of caregiver PTSD – which are noticeably different from other types of PTSD – and to seek help if you are experiencing them. These include:

  • Apathy: You may feel empty, numb, and emotionally detached from loved ones. This can take place in conjunction with compassion fatigue.
  • Flashbacks: Reliving a distressing experience can bring about the same degree of emotion as when the event occurred.
  • Pain: Both physical and emotional pain can be overwhelming and unrelenting. This may include stomach upset and headaches along with feelings of anguish and hopelessness.
  • Anxiety: Heightened anxiety about your family member’s health and wellbeing may be particularly noticeable at night, and can lead to night terrors.

Why Are Caregivers at Risk for PTSD?

There are many factors that come into play to produce the perfect storm for caregiver PTSD, including:

  • The overwhelming responsibilities involved with caregiving: from day-to-day care tasks to managing life-changing medical and financial decisions on a loved one’s behalf
  • Hospitalizations and other emergency situations that arise
  • Challenging family dynamics and complex emotions such as guilt, remorse, hopelessness, and helplessness
  • Grief over a range of losses: watching a loved one’s health diminish, experiencing a relationship shift from simply being a family member to being in a caregiver role, being unable to live life as it was in the past, and more

What Should You Do if You Detect the Red Flags of Caregiver PTSD?

The initial step is to consult with your primary care physician to describe the symptoms you are encountering. You’ll want to rule out any other medical conditions, especially if you’re experiencing any physical pain.

It is additionally important to locate a therapist who is specially trained in treating people with PTSD. There are excellent treatment options, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy, in addition to individual, family, or group counseling.

Taking regular breaks from your caregiving role is also extremely important. Let friends and family members know that you’re struggling and that you could use further support. Caregiving should not be a one-person responsibility. Allowing others to step up and help benefits the person you are providing care for as well, providing them with additional opportunities for social connections.

How Does Home Care Help?

Responsive Home Care’s in-home respite care services allow you to take the time away you’ll need for self-care while knowing a loved one is receiving excellent care. Taking care of yourself is key to providing the best care for your family member. Contact us online or call us at (954) 486-6440 to learn more. Responsive Home Care serves seniors in Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Plantation, Hollywood, Lighthouse Point, and throughout the surrounding areas.

Here’s What to Avoid During Chemotherapy

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: Do you know what to avoid during chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is, without a doubt, a potentially life-saving journey. However, during the process of destroying harmful cancer cells, noncancerous cells can be in the crossfire, leading to challenging side effects. The physician will offer guidelines on what cancer patients should do to minimize these effects, but it’s just as important to know what to avoid during chemotherapy. Read more

Keeping a Sense of Purpose for Seniors Leads to a More Fulfilling Life

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Learn the importance of maintaining a sense of purpose for seniors.

What motivates you to push forward every day? If you are part of the sandwich generation, taking care of both older and younger loved ones, your list is probably quite long! However, for aging adults, as the nest empties, it becomes important to redefine their identity and learn new ways to bring meaning to each day. Read more

Starting Home Care: What to do When Family Is in Denial

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When a family member refuses the need for parents starting home care, we have tips to help.

Once you realize that an aging loved one could benefit from starting home care services, it’s not uncommon for the aging loved one to be resistant to the idea. After all, acknowledging the need for assistance is not easy, especially for an individual who values their privacy and independence. However, it gets more challenging when another family member is the one in denial about starting home care. When you’ve reached an impasse within your family in regards to the need for senior care, there’s one very likely culprit to consider: denial. Read more

Staying Present as a Caregiver: How to Avoid Caregiver Boredom

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bored caregiver

Learn how to stay present as a caregiver and avoid caregiver boredom.

No caregiver is proud of it, but it’s also difficult for any caregiver to avoid. Becoming tired of your role as family caregiver is a common reaction to spending so much time together, performing the exact same tasks, engaging in exactly the same activities, and running out of intriguing conversation topics. Your struggle in staying present as a caregiver is not in any way related to your feelings for the individual in your care. In fact, they might be feeling just as bored with a stagnant routine.

How can you breathe new life into your caregiving relationship? If you’ve been struggling with staying present as a caregiver, our care team has some ideas you can implement to help.

Break Out of the Norm. Take a mental walk through the routines you’ve established, and think about ways to implement changes. Have you been preparing the same bowl of cereal every morning? Search online for cookbook recipes and try a new one with the person you care for once a week. Rather than those morning talk or game shows, switch off the TV and go for a walk together. Drive a different route to the doctor’s office or beauty shop to see some new sights.

Celebrate! You don’t need an official reason to get the party started! There are so many unique and lesser-known holidays to pick from, for example, National Polar Bear Day, Toast Day, Tell a Fairy Tale Day, and Comfy Day – and those are just a handful of reasons to celebrate in the last week of February! Or why not designate your very own? All it requires is a little creative thinking as you look around your environment, select something you’re thankful for, and think about ways to make it the star of the day.

Tap Into Your Imagination. Do you remember how vibrant your imagination was as a child? It can be just as fun as an adult! As you are waiting at the doctor’s office, take a look at the people around you, and try to picture an extraordinary story of their lives. Encourage the aging loved one to do the same, and share your stories on the ride home. Practicing mindfulness is another way to fully engage in the moment as opposed to dully observing from the sidelines. Use all five senses to experience your surroundings in a new and intriguing way.

Plan Something Fun. Come up with fun activities and new experiences you can plan and do with the aging loved one. These can be as simple as trying a brand new restaurant in town or traveling to a destination they have always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity. If traveling with the older adult seems too daunting, consider bringing along a professional caregiver from Responsive Home Care! We are always available to help make dreams come true for the older adults we serve.

Let Responsive Home Care help you with staying present as a caregiver by providing breaks from care that give both of you the opportunity for experiences outside of each other’s company, allowing for interesting conversations to have when you’re together again. Contact us online or at (954) 486-6440 to learn more about our home health care in Plantation and the nearby areas!

Tips for Increasing Caregiving Patience: It Takes Practice!

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patient-caregiver

Taking care of an aging adult can be tiresome, but these tips can help you with increasing caregiving patience.

Does waiting in line at the grocery store make you want to pull your hair out? Do you get antsy when the doctor is running behind for your appointment? Some people just appear to project a natural sense of patience, no matter what the circumstances. Wouldn’t you like to know their secret, particularly when it comes increasing caregiver patience in caring for a loved one?

Thankfully, it is possible to increase your level of patience in much the same manner in which you increase your endurance in exercising – through practice. Try these recommendations to help with increasing caregiver patience:

How Do I Become More Patient?

  • It’s OK to not fix the problem immediately. Allow something that is broken to remain broken for some time as opposed to pressuring yourself to quickly deal with it.
  • Take a beat, and truly listen when others are speaking. It’s easy to begin formulating your response before the person has finished, but strive to place all your concentration instead on everything they are saying.
  • Attempt to channel your inner child. Let yourself laugh more, be silly, and remind yourself not to permit the small things that irritate you to become big things. A little lightening up and letting go can go a considerable way towards getting rid of stress.
  • Focus on being in the moment. When your thoughts begin to wander, recognize the distraction, but gently guide your thinking back to your breathing.
  • Deliberately put yourself in circumstances that necessitate patience. Let someone go ahead of you next time you’re standing in line. Make yourself wait a few moments (or more!) prior to checking your phone. Initiate a conversation with an individual who tests your patience.
  • Accept your present circumstances. Perhaps the person you’re caring for is taking a lot longer to get dressed than you’d like. Remind yourself that your job is to provide care but to also allow the person to stay as independent as possible, and often that will call for allowing some additional time and a good measure of patience.

When time is of the essence, however, it becomes all the harder to stay patient. Let a caregiver from Responsive Home Care help. We are available to provide a full range of home care in Lighthouse Point and the nearby areas that will help you free up the time you need. Reach out to us at (954) 486-6440 to find out more information and to ask about a free in-home consultation.

New Year’s Resolutions While Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s

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2023-alzheimers-resolution

These New Year’s resolutions can help you better prepare for caring for someone with Alzheimer’s in 2023!

While everyone else is focusing on getting more exercise, dropping a few pounds, or sticking to an insufferable diet, as a caregiver caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, just getting through each day will be challenging enough for you. The notion of striving to improve upon any part of your life in this unsettling time can be overwhelming.

At Responsive Home Care, we want to boost your morale. We realize caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is often both frustrating and rewarding, and we’re here to support you by any means we can. To start, we have compiled some resolutions just for Alzheimer’s caregivers that can actually help make your journey a bit easier.

What Resolutions Are Good for a Dementia Caregiver?

Take a step back, and consider the following:

  • Make time for you. Of course, that’s easier said than done. But taking time for yourself is vital to both your quality of life and that of the person you are taking care of. It does not need to be anything elaborate or extensive, unless you want it to be. Merely carving out a couple of hours once a week for an activity you like can provide the rejuvenation you need. A reliable family member or friend can fill in while you’re away, or contact Responsive Home Care for a trained, experienced caregiver to help.
  • Remind yourself that you know what is best. Family caregivers may find themselves surrounded by well-intentioned people who wish to offer advice. While their ideas may work well for other people, they may not be applicable in your situation. Listen respectfully to any advice offered and thank the individual for the idea, but then ultimately trust your judgment in making the ideal care decisions for your circumstances.
  • Take it easy on yourself. At the end of the day, you are human, and it’s inevitable to slip up from time to time. Resolve that this will be the year that you thoroughly rid yourself of any guilt, and in exchange remind yourself that you are doing the very best you can to help make life better for the person you love.

For help with caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and for some additional helpful resources, contact Responsive Home Care any time. We will be pleased to visit with you in your home at no cost to talk about the challenges you are facing and to provide creative solutions to help, such as:

  • Help with aggression, wandering, agitation, repetitive behaviors, sundowning, and more
  • Planning and preparing meals based on individual preferences
  • Providing engaging activities and conversations to keep both mind and body active
  • Support as needed with personal hygiene tasks, while cultivating independence
  • Transportation and accompaniment to appointments and outings
  • And much more

Call us at (954) 486-6440 for more information about our services and how a home health aide in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the nearby areas can help.

Simple, Effective Strategies You Can Try Today to Improve Memory

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Help seniors improve memory with these simple strategies.

Do you recall learning the order of colors of the rainbow as a child? A lot of us were introduced to Roy G. Biv to master this feat – one of many mnemonics we learn that, interestingly, often stay with us for a lifetime.

As we age, it’s expected to experience some level of memory impairment; and naturally, it’s even more pronounced when Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is a factor. Scientists are constantly aiming to locate effective ways to improve memory and cognitive functioning, and have observed some interesting findings on “old school” strategies such as mnemonics. Here’s what they have recently discovered:

Mnemonics

Mnemonics produces a link to a memory through a phrase, abbreviation, song, etc. This training yielded great results in increasing activity in areas of the brain that are affected by dementia, leading to improved retention of information.

There are a multitude of mnemonic strategies that are very effective in improving memory. For example, try mnemonic keywords. Mnemonic keywords are fun and creative ways to memorize words in another language. It involves selecting a word that’s much like the new word you want to learn, and visualizing an image that brings the two words together. For instance, if you’re wanting to remember that chapeau is French for the term “hat,” you might picture Charlie Chaplin along with his famous black hat. The “Chap” element of his name can trigger the initial letters in chapeau, and the memory will stick.

Spaced Retrieval Training

This strategy involves gradually increasing the amount of time between memory tests, and was shown to also be highly effective for those with dementia. Compared to mnemonics, however, there was actually a decrease in brain activity, which led medical researchers to determine that the information had been processed more efficiently.

This training method is very effective in increasing independence and minimizing anxiety for those with cognitive challenges. Choose a desired event or activity for the person to keep in mind, such as a lunch date with a buddy on Friday. Start by asking the person a question to establish whether or not the memory is already in place. If not, remind them they are having lunch with John on Friday. Wait 15 seconds, and ask the individual the question again. If the memory is in place now, increase the time to 30 seconds, and ask again, continuing to double the time and ask again. If the person does not remember after 15 seconds, keep repeating the process every 15 seconds several more times before determining that it is not an effective technique, at least not for this particular event or activity.

Both strategies are simple, drug-free approaches to incorporate into the treatment for someone during the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or even for anyone who is looking for approaches to improve memory.

Let Responsive Home Care provide additional resources and support for someone you love with dementia. Our creative approaches to help improve memory make the most of an older adult’s cognitive functioning, independence, and wellbeing. Contact us online or call (954) 486-6440 for more information about our home care assistance in Fort Lauderdale and the nearby areas.

 

 

Downsizing for Seniors with Dementia

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Learn the benefits of downsizing for seniors with dementia.

You’ve come to the realization that the family home is just way too much for your mother and father to take care of. A smaller home became available just around the corner from you that’s ideal: a lovely flower garden in the backyard, a bright, cheerful kitchen, and no stairs to navigate. Now it’s time to begin the downsizing process. The only problem? Mom has dementia.

It’s not uncommon for seniors with dementia to struggle with change. Leaving the familiarity of home and moving into a brand new one can increase feelings of agitation and anxiety, but there are strategies to help ease the transition.

  1. Pace yourself. It’s natural to want to rip the band aid off and make the downsizing process as quick as possible for seniors with dementia. However, a better approach in this situation is taking time to discuss the upcoming changes with the older adult, one step at a time. Keep a consistent and calm demeanor, and empower the person to maintain as much control over the required decisions as possible.
  2. Maintain memories. Take pictures and/or videos of some of the items being donated or discarded and use them to create a scrapbook for the older loved one. This helps aging loved ones to revisit the items anytime they would like, and can also be used to spark conversations and reminiscing after the move.
  3. Create a system. Donating and discarding seniors’ possessions are necessary parts of the downsizing process. Again, include the individual in the decision-making process to the greatest extent possible. There will probably be specific items the older adult can’t stand to part with, which can be placed into storage if the new living arrangement can’t accommodate them. If there are items the senior rarely uses or sees, however, it might be easiest to have those removed before involving the person in the process.
  4. Set up the new home yourself. Arrange the senior’s most loved furnishings and items of comfort in the new living environment before bringing them in. Include photographs of friends and family near the bed, so they can see them when they go to bed and first wake up. Then bring the senior loved one in, and help with rearranging anything they’d like adjusted. This process will lessen the anxiety that may occur for someone needing to unpack and figure out the best locations to place items in a brand new environment.

Our Alzheimer’s care team is thoroughly trained, experienced, and highly skilled, and we are available to help through the downsizing process and beyond for seniors with dementia. Reach out to us at (954) 486-6440 or online for more information about our caregiver services in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the nearby areas.

Are You Experiencing a Lack of Caregiver Appreciation?

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caregiver appreciation

Lack of caregiver appreciation can lead to burnout or depression.

As soon as you woke up this morning up until the end of an exhausting day, you have given your all to your older family member. You provided assistance with showering and dressing, prepared nutritious meals, cleaned the house, all while making certain a senior loved one was happily involved in enjoyable activities, made it to their 2:00 hair appointment, and picked up groceries and prescriptions afterwards. And while you are not doing any of these things for a pat on the back, a simple “thank you” would be nice – but is almost never offered as a sign of caregiver appreciation.

If you are feeling a lack of caregiver appreciation or completely unappreciated altogether, you’re not alone. This is a frequent occurrence in caregiving for a number of reasons, and if not addressed, can cause caregiver burnout or depression. These strategies can help.

  1. Learn the skill of self-appreciation. The work you are doing is extremely important, and you deserve to be rewarded for it. Choose something each week that you’re going to do for yourself for a job well done. It could be as simple as one hour spent reading on the porch swing or a dessert from your favorite bakery. You can also plan for larger rewards, such as a long weekend getaway, by engaging respite care services from a dependable care partner like Responsive Home Care.
  2. Try to understand their perspective. There are a number of reasons a senior may not be expressing gratitude for the work you are doing. Someone with dementia or another chronic condition could be fully focused on their own struggles or the day-to-day tasks close at hand which are typically now more challenging. Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes can help you accept that a lack of verbal appreciation doesn’t automatically equate to true ungratefulness.
  3. Start modeling appreciative behavior. Let the senior see by example how good it feels to be appreciated by genuinely thanking them whenever the ability arises, no matter how small. If they fold and hang up the towel after their shower, clean off the table after lunch, or help with putting away groceries – be sure to thank them.

By providing home health care in Fort Lauderdale, FL and surrounding areas, we are always here to share in your caregiving duties, to alleviate stress and allow you plenty of time for self-care. Regularly scheduled time away is essential, and we’re here for as much or as little as you will need. While you’re taking care of yourself, we will help a senior you love with:

  • Companionship for conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, exercise, etc.
  • Laundry and housekeeping
  • Meals
  • Medication reminders
  • Personal care (showers, baths, getting dressed, etc.)
  • Transportation to fun outings or appointments
  • And much more, according to each person’s unique needs

Reach out to Responsive Home Care for a complimentary in-home consultation and let us know exactly how we can help.

What Are the Symptoms of Chemo Brain, and How Can You Reduce Its Effects?

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Could memory and focus problems be the result of chemo brain?

Confusion. Short-term memory problems. Inability to focus. Could it be Alzheimer’s?

Perhaps; however if you are a cancer survivor, there is another likely culprit that could be at play: chemotherapy. Known as chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) or “chemo brain,” effects such as these can continue for months and on occasion even years post-treatment. Read more