Tips to Manage Family Caregiver Stress

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It can be stressful to serve as a family caregiver, so learning how to manage emotions is important.

Stress is bound to happen, and actually, not always a bad thing. After all, as the saying goes, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” However, especially for family caregivers, the level of stress can rapidly intensify and be frustrating, and when not managed effectively, lead to big health concerns.

Try these suggestions to lower family caregiver stress and obtain a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle – both for yourself and those you love:

  • Alter your self-talk. Through the course of your day, you will probably find yourself entertaining thoughts such as, “I cannot accomplish this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Stop when negative thinking starts to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I’m able to take care of this, one step at a time,” or “Help is available whenever I require it.”
  • Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all of the following strategies:
    • Breathe deeply (breathe in to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; exhale to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; repeat as needed)
    • Take a walk or take part in some other regular exercise
    • Pray or meditate
    • Play favorite music
    • Write in a journal
    • Contact a good friend
  • Try a stress-busting activity. There are a variety of pleasing activities that will divert your focus away from what was leading to stress and onto things more positive, such as creating art, reading, enjoying pets or children, doing work in the yard or on a DIY project – the possibilities are endless, and even as little as 10 or 15 minutes invested in the activity will help.

There are even apps especially developed with family caregivers in mind to help minimize stress and restore calm. Find five which can be particularly effective here from DailyCaring.

Caregiver stress is very common for individuals who feel as though they have no support system, and have to handle everything independently. Fortunately, we have an answer! Call Responsive Home Care for an in-home consultation to learn more about how we can share in your caregiving duties, enabling you to gain important time away to destress, with our services that include:

  • Planning and cooking wholesome meals
  • Assistance with personal care and hygiene
  • Taking care of housekeeping chores and laundry
  • Accompaniment to medical appointments and interesting outings
  • Companionship to brighten each day with conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, etc.
  • Medication reminders
  • And so much more

Call us at 954-486-6440 for home care assistance in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. Learn how a partner in care can make a world of difference in eliminating stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family care providers.

Caregiver Resilience During a Time of Crisis

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Learn caregiver tips to help you navigate a crisis.

Times of crisis can bring out the best as well as the worst in us. During the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve heard stories of people hoarding items and selling them to generate an outrageous profit, together with stories of people who selflessly met the needs of others despite their own fears.

The secret to weathering the storms, which are certain to show up within our lives, is resiliency. Mia Bartoletti, clinical psychologist for the Navy SEAL Foundation, works with families of people serving in the armed forces, and offers suggestions which will help build caregiver resilience through any time of crisis.

  1. Express your reactions. It’s common to experience various responses to a crisis: flashbacks to other very difficult situations, dreams and nightmares, withdrawal and avoidance, trouble with sleeping, irritability, issues with concentration and focus, and hypervigilance. What’s crucial is to make sure these reactions are temporary, and do not advance into longer-term psychological problems. Acknowledge your feelings, and share them with a trusted confidante, or write them in a journal.
  2. Maintain social connections. While your instinct might be to pull away from friends and relatives during a crisis, keeping in touch on a frequent basis with individuals you care about is vital. Finding a support group, whether in person or online, is yet another good way to ensure you’re building and preserving social ties, allowing you to speak with other individuals in the same circumstances.
  3. Take a moment for self-care. This means something different to each individual, but should include enjoyable activities, engaging interests and hobbies, nutritious meals, lots of sleep, and exercise. If you find it is hard to carve out time for yourself as a result of caregiving duties, Responsive Home Care is always available to partner with you to provide trustworthy respite care. Caring for yourself lets you take better care of those you love.
  4. Realize what you are able to control – and that which you cannot. Letting go of what’s out of your control and concentrating instead on what you CAN control is one of the foundations of resilience. Psychologist Mary Alvord, who founded Resilience Across Borders, explains, “Depression is hopelessness and helplessness, and so resilience is the opposite. No, you’re not helpless; you do have control over many aspects of your life.”

It’s always best to seek professional counseling in the event your reactions to stressful circumstances are impeding your ability to maintain a feeling of calm and to tend to the necessary day to day activities of living. And, watch for signs that senior family members are going through undue levels of stress so that you can obtain the help they need also.

Understand that regardless of what life may bring, you can rely on Responsive Home Care to walk beside you with trustworthy, professional aging care services that empower older adults to remain resilient and independent. Contact us at 954-486-6440 to learn more about home care assistance in Plantation, FL and throughout the surrounding areas.

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s? Daily Journaling Helps!

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Portrait of middle-aged lovely womanTaking care of a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s is a fluid, ever-evolving undertaking. One day may be calm and peaceful, with your parent enjoying activities, eating healthy meals, and sharing laughter with you; while the next day may be filled with agitation, anxiety, and sullenness. Exactly what will today bring?

Figuring out how to best handle the challenging behaviors as well as ensure life is as satisfying and comfortable as possible for a senior with dementia can be made easier through a simple tool: journaling[MS1] . Our experts in home health services in Fort Lauderdale, FL share an easy method to implement it in your day-to-day caregiving routine, and how to utilize your journal to improve quality of life for your senior loved one:

  • Track symptoms and care needs on a daily basis. Your notes don’t have to be lengthy, but record any difficulties that occur, including time of day and what might have triggered the challenges. Also include activities the person managed to execute independently, together with those that were difficult. At the conclusion of every week, review the behaviors to find out if a pattern can be noticed – such as heightened agitation before meals or bedtime.
  • Track eating habits. Take note of which foods are most appealing to the senior, which are easiest for him or her to self-feed, how many meals/snacks tend to be consumed and at what times throughout the day, etc. Don’t forget to include beverages, to guarantee the older adult is taking in sufficient levels of water to stay hydrated. In looking at your notes, you may find that six smaller sized meals throughout the course of the day are better for your senior loved one than three larger ones, for example.
  • Track safety considerations. Maintaining safety is a high concern in Alzheimer’s care, with a variety of dangers that could derive from wandering, dizziness/balance problems, hallucinations, and misunderstanding what common items are used for, such as thinking a household cleaner could actually be a sports drink. Securing hazardous items or putting them in out-of-reach places is important, and maintaining a list of changes made to the home environment for safety’s sake can be extremely helpful to notify other family and friends to potential risks.

Additionally, it is recommended to take your journal with you to your loved one’s medical appointments, and bring any concerns recorded to his or her attention. This allows you to be completely prepared in advance of appointments with questions you need to get answered, making the most of the short time available to consult with doctors.

Get in touch with our highly trained and knowledgeable experts in home care in Davie, FL and surrounding areas for even more tips, along with specialized in-home care that increases safety while maximizing independence, purpose, and meaning – making every day the very best it can be for someone with dementia.