How have you been doing reaching your goals? We started with standing during commercials. Then moved onto Standing during the TV show. To walking around the room. We have talked about many different things that you can do while in your home.
If you are still working on the previous post that is OK!! But if you are ready to move on, lets get going. The weather is getting nicer so let’s head outside. I know that during covid we are to stay home. So home it is, in your own yard. See that mailbox, walk to it(if it is in your yard and/or you can maintain social distancing walking to it). Walk it, two or three times a day if you can.
In case you prefer to stay indoors, or you are still going to work. I have looked for some links to chair exercises . While this says for seniors, anyone can start here and use them. I also found some chair exercises for your office. When you are feeling that mid day slump. Any movement, exercise can help you to gain strength and endurance. This is a blog post with great information about exercises you can do at your desk.
All you short term goals = success to your long term goal. Keep working.
Goal setting is key to better health. The larger goal can be set at any time frame that’s obtainable for you. Then set smaller goals within that time frame. This helps you see progress while you are working toward your larger goal. Celebrate small victories to keep you excited. Think back three weeks ago, where were you, and where are you now. If you’ve set a goal and if you’re meeting your goals. You on your way!! Soon you will meet that larger goal!
Stand up for your health!
Challenge for this time is that you stand up for your goals. Reach your small goals so that you can achieve your larger goal. The weather is nice, by all means go outside and do your walking if you can. Stand up for YOU!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just infected yourself with corona.
Corona virus or Covid 19 is a novel virus, meaning that we have not seen it before. We are fighting an enemy that we cannot see, hear, or feel. We are doing things, that we never thought about in the past. We have seen companies shut down, laid off workers, no dine in options (except at your own table, in your home). Many folks are working from home. Many parents are having to become teachers, and the list goes on. Today we are going to talk about those mask and gloves that are being worn for our protection.
A couple weeks ago I posted about hand washing. It seems that everyone is on board with learning new techniques. Actually, old ones, that had become, automatic for so many. Hand washing for 20 seconds. Cleaning under our fingernails. Not turning off the water, with our clean hands. Using a towel or paper towel to turn off the water. We have done fairly well at relearning this skill.
Now, let’s go on virtual trip to the grocery store. You walk in, you are told “the carts are sanitized, please stay 6 feet from others”. You are playing by the rules and try your best. You have a mask on, you have put on your gloves. You are feeling protected, now start shopping. You look at different soups, pick up the can and look at the nutrition label, and sit it down. Then look at the next, and the one after that. Your phone rings so you answer it, your spouse reminds you to pick up some milk. You put your phone back in your purse. Head to the milk isle, and pick out a gallon of milk. Your eye itches and you reach up and rub it. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just infected yourself with corona.
You thought you were being careful. You are only as clean as those gloves. You have picked up and sat down many items. Not one time did you sanitize your hands (probably because you had on gloves). I would like to believe that this scenario would not happen, but it does every day. Worse, people are not trained on the proper way to remove dirty mask and gloves. Here is a link, to my Facebook page where I have a video about the proper use of mask and gloves.
As you can see there is a safe way to put on your mask and gloves and to remove them. Following this technique will decrease your chances of infecting yourself with covid 19, or any other illness. Why is it so important to put on, and take off your gloves and mask correctly?
“More than one-third of healthcare workers were contaminated with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) after caring for patients colonized or infected with the bacteria, according to a study published today in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study found that 39 percent of workers made errors in removing personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns and gloves, increasing the incidence of contamination.” Per study reported in ScienceDaily. “(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190320110630.htm) March 20,2019.
If this happens within healthcare, where they have been trained properly, what is happening with those not trained? Here is a link to video from the CDC on mask and glove training.
As in my scenario above with picking up many different items, with the same gloves. This is another example of what was found in healthcare. Again with staff that have been trained.
“The major break in compliance with glove use was failure to change gloves between procedures on the same patient.” Per review article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26447080, May 15, 2015
The use of facial masks, has long been a belief, that only healthcare workers, working with someone ill should wear them. This is false. Not only do these mask help keep the ill person from spreading germs, they also help protect the healthy person from getting the germs. If both are wearing mask, that will decrease the spread of disease. I have not found any great studies to show figures and if you have some please share.
We are in the middle of a pandemic. We are all worried about becoming ill. We can help stop the spread by a few simple things.
#1 hand washing, at least 20 seconds with soap.
#2 When out in public or helping others wear a mask and gloves. Yes, the home-made ones are better than nothing.
#3 Social isolation as much as possible.
Thanks for stopping by, and reading my post. I challenge you to wear your mask, wash your hands and stay 6 feet from others. Do you have any great ideas, tips or tricks? If so, please share in the comments below. If you like my blog please share it with others.
7 of many ways to help when you are suffering from anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety, what does it look like? Well the answer to that is different for most folks. Can it come on all the sudden? What if you have never had anything like that in the past? How do I cope with anxiety at home?
This week we will dive into anxiety. Anxiety is our bodies way of “warning” us that something might happen. The common symptoms are feeling of unease, heart racing, chest pain, feeling of shaking (may or may not be noticeable on the outside), sweating, pacing you get the idea. Anxiety can come on all the sudden, or can come on slowly. It can happen to anyone at any time. Most people can relate, that they had a significant event in life, that happened prior to the first time they experienced anxiety. There are many medications out there that can be used for anxiety. However, medication will take up to 40 minutes to take effect. See the list below on things you can try to do at home. Most of these will help in less than 40 minutes.
Now for the part that everyone is reading this blog to find out. How do I manage anxiety!!
1)Talk to a friend: While this seems simple, that is exactly what you need when you are anxious. Having someone to help you process the situation can be very helpful. Just hearing another view on a problem’s solution can be very comforting.
2)Take a walk: Just getting out and doing this can calm you. It takes you away from the place that the anxiety started. It allows for you to get some fresh air, see other things, and get your mind off of the situation that started your anxiety flare.
3)Take a bath, a warm bath with some soothing smells like lavender can help ease the spirit.
4)Listen to quiet music, water falls, light rain, birds chirping. You can get CD’s that have all these sounds and more. You could most likely find an app on your phone with the same types of music. These have been out for years and many people are able to relax when listening.
5)Read, do you have a favorite book? Do you prefer to look through magazines? Maybe you prefer kindle or online reading. Give this a try, next time you become anxious. Do not read about what makes you anxious, but look up things that are comforting to you.
6)Deep Breathing see this video on deep breathing exercises.
7)Exposure: Do you have a specific activity that causes you to become anxious. Slowly exposing yourself to this activity for only very short timeframes can help with overcoming your anxiety about that activity.
Do not turn to illegal drugs and/or alcohol. These are not good resources, drugs are addictive and while they may take away the symptoms for a bit, they are not great alternatives. Alcohol can cause many other diseases such liver disease, dementia, depression and more. When you turn to these, it can actually make anxiety worse over time.
The magic pill blog post, that I wrote, can be used here also. Many times, people want the pill that takes all their anxiety away. Pills do help at times, but are not great long-term options. They can help with as needed. However, sometimes you will require higher doses, the longer you take them. It is best to learn techniques that will help you at any time. Studies show that behavioral changes are better long-term treatments than medications in most anxiety type situations.
A little about medications for anxiety. There are both daily (maintenance) and as needed(rescue) type medications. You need to see your primary care or mental health provider to discuss if they are appropriate for you. I am not giving you medical advice this is only information to help you understand. If medication is warranted (by your provider) you will most likely be given a daily medication. These take 6-8 weeks for full effects and have some potential side effects (as do most anything you put in your mouth). These are the best for your control of anxiety along with behavioral changes. Short acting or rescue medications are sometimes used to help while getting the daily medication started. Sometimes you need to continue with rescue after the 6-8 weeks, but use, should be much less by that point. Again, talk with your primary or mental health provider about these options if you are interested. This is only for information purposes and is NOT healthcare advice.
So, if you are doing something daily that increases your anxiety, try to avoid that activity. You can try to have less exposure until it is not triggering your anxiety. For example, if you are watching the news several hours a day, and it increases your anxiety. Consider decreasing that activity and only watching 30 mins a day. You will get what you need without over doing it. Follow the information above to try to calm your anxiety, learning to use these behavior type activities, can be helpful anywhere, anytime. But like most things you have to practice. So when its needed you know what to do.
I challenge you to take the time and effort to use these techniques to help with your anxiety. If you have other tricks that help you, please, comment below.
In the last few months, our lives have done a 180. We have gone from moving about as we wish, to staying at home mandates. What was just an issue in China, is now here on our land. This is undoubtedly one of the hardest times we have seen. What a response we have seen, with others helping others.
Over the next several weeks, we will continue to need to stay home as much as possible. We will have to only go to the grocery store, gas station, pharmacy and doctor offices. During this time our normal social interactions will be greatly decreased.
Humans need social interactions, we depend on them to learn, love, and share. We love our families. However, being with only them, can become very irritating over time. Not being able to get out and do things can weigh on our mental health. Even the strongest mentally healthy folks can have anxiety and depression symptoms in these times.
What can you do to help yourself during these times?
First, stay healthy. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. Read my hand washing blog here. Keep your family healthy by not getting out in public and possibly being exposed to the Corona virus. Simple things, like disinfecting your hard surfaces, cooking at home, keeping up on housework can all help you to stay healthy.
Second, learn, read, work on a hobby, teach others by writing or making a video. Find a reason to get up and do something every day. If we allow ourselves to just lay around, and not have a reason to get up, we can start feeling depressed. We can start having issues with anxiety. We have to be proactive and keep doing our daily task. Even though many are home working or laid off right now. This is the time for ourselves. Remember all those things you have said “I will do that when I have time”? This is the time!
Third, DO NOT allow all of this to take over your world. The corona virus is scary. It is happening. It is very contagious. We need to take it seriously. However, do what you can to keep calm during this time. If you need help, ask for it. There are others who can help you. If you are elderly, or you are immunodeficient allow others to help. This virus is not discriminatory, it will take any host that it can find.
I challenge you to check in on others (via phone) if you are able to help them. If you deliver needed items, drop them off at the door. If you need something, please reach out to your local community center, family, school district, or church family to let them know what you need. Please stay safe at home as much as possible. If you do get sick, contact your primary care provider by phone first, and follow their recommendations. While there are more testing sites available, talk with your primary care office first.
“Did not wash hands” Coronavirus is spreading, we can help by washing our hands. Read to find out more.
Have you ever wished there was a big sign outside the restroom that flashed “DID NOT WASH HANDS”? Most of us think of hand washing after using the restroom. However, do you wash them correctly? Most people do not! I have read up to 95% of people, wash their hands incorrectly. What is proper technique? Here is a video to watch.
Unfortunately, it takes a major health scare, like coronavirus, to encourage us to WASH OUR HANDS. Since we were little, we have heard wash your hands. All through elementary school, middle school, high school we were told to wash our hands. We taught our children the same thing. So now let’s get to the reason behind washing our hands.
Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is a
way to scrub germs off of your hands. You should wash your hands:
Before and after eating
After using the restroom
Before and after cooking (especially raw meat)
After changing a baby diaper
After petting animals
When visibly soiled
Visiting elderly family either at their home or the hospital
Any other time you think to wash your hands.
Pretty much after any activity.
Hand washing is the most effective form of staying healthy. It helps prevent spreading infections such as diarrheal illnesses and respiratory illness. There have been many studies about hand washing and found that most people do not take the time to wash hands properly. Most give the reason “I don’t have time to spend 20 secs washing my hands”. Especially caregivers who go from one patient to another. This prompted the invention of hand sanitizers as they can be used in place of soap and water, during most situations. Hand sanitizers are hanging on the walls in most public areas. You wave your hand, and a palm full of sanitizer is released. You then can rub hands together until it is dried. Read the recommendations, as most say that you should still use soap and water every so many times of using sanitizer.
The coronavirus is among us and most likely a large percentage of us will get exposed. The best practices to help stop the spread is social isolation and hand washing. The CDC has this information about hand washing in PDF forms, PDF handouts you can print to use at home and office to help with education and remind others to wash hands.
I found a great article from the Minnesota Department of Health about what type of soap to use, plain or antibacterial, liquid or bar, and when should you use hand sanitizer. These are a little different from what the CDC states in the above video, but both offer great information.
Thanks for taking time to read about hand washing. I challenge you to WASH THOSE HANDS FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS with soap in all the scenarios listed above and any other time you think of it. Let’s help stop this virus!
We all want that quick fix, pop a pill in my mouth, and all my troubles go away. You get the idea. In America we are very automatic. We want quick gratification. We don’t want to have to put forth the effort to get skinny, healthy, smart, or the income that we want.
Let’s talk about the “magic pill”. We all want that quick fix, pop a pill in my mouth, and all my troubles go away. You get the idea. In America we are very automatic. We want quick gratification. We don’t want to have to put forth the effort to get skinny, healthy, smart, or have the income that we want.
Let’s talk about BMI. No one really wants to talk about their weight, including me. There are all kinds of scales and charts that tell us if you are this tall, you should weigh this much. And while it’s true we should be a decent weight; we should also be fit. If you watch TV no doubt, you will see one diet plan, after another diet plan, after a diet pill. In between all of those commercials you will find the commercials for all the local restaurants.
Food is a huge part of our world. We have to start looking at food for what it is. Food is fuel for our bodies. I, like most, indulge probably more than I should. Actually, I know i indulge more than I should. We tend to eat when we’re at social events, because we’re bored, because we’re studying, because we see someone eating. That is a habit that is hard to break. Therefore, it may be easier just to make better choices.
Even though some commercials say they have that magic pill (there’s not one). As with anything in life, we have to want it badly enough that we change our habits to make it happen. If you want your BMI to be with in normal limits, you have to decide that is what you want, and then exercise and eat in moderation. There’s no quick easy way.
My challenge to you is to work hard on whatever your goal. To put in the work and make that goal yours. Your return will be a healthier you. Sometimes it is a matter of accountability. Please feel free to comment with what you have accomplished each week. Let others see your ideas and give you praise for your accomplishments.
As we explore life after 50, one of the things we have more of to deal with is preventative care. Preventative care is different for men than for women so I will do these in two separate post. Preventative care for men over 50, Includes colonoscopy(newest recommendation is age 45), prostate exams, lab work, AAA, skin cancer screening and others.
Colonoscopy: At age 45 is recommended for first colonoscopy. Then if normal every ten years, unless something happens that requires earlier check. You have options, you could do nothing, occult stool cards, small bowel follow through. However, if any positives…. colonoscopy is recommended. Colonoscopy is the gold standard. Getting a visual of the lining of the large intestine (colon). Most insurances are covering the cost, check with yours to see what is covered.
There are many results that might be found, I will discuss the common ones.
Normal: speaks for itself.
Hemorrhoids: small “skin tag” looking areas. Normally benign but can be painful. Can have blood clots in them requiring them to be lanced (opened).
Diverticulosis: small out pouching of the colon. Usually benign, but if they get irritated, can become infected, causing pain and illness. Requiring a visit to primary care and or emergent care. They can bleed which can be an emergency. Special diets help to keep these from becoming irritated.
Polyps: these can be benign, precancerous or cancerous. Depending on the number and what category they fall within depends on what follow up is needed.
Colonoscopies are normally recommended every 10 years if normal starting at age 50, unless you have a first degree relative who has colon cancer then it is suggested 10 years prior to when they were diagnosed if that is before age 50. Follow ups depend on the initial screening. Recommendation from the American Cancer Society here.
Prostate exam: This is a rectal exam, normally completed in primary care office. The prostate can be felt. The primary care provider is feeling for firmness, bumps, size. Results can be normal, large, boggy. Labs are often drawn to obtain prostate specific antigen normal is less than 4. It is also monitored from year to year if the number doubles in one year it is concerning. The CDC recommendations can be found here.
Labs: your doctor may have already started with initial labs, checking your complete blood count, cholesterol, kidney and liver function, and blood sugar. You can look here to find why labs are ordered and normal values.
Blood pressure: as we age many adults have high blood pressure it is a good idea to monitor this at least yearly. If you see a monitor at your local store, go ahead and measure your blood pressure. Write down the numbers, or put them in your smart phone note pad so that you can go back and look at them. While many factors go into your blood pressure, the old 120/80 or lower is still a good number to by, however talk with your primary care provider to find out what the optimal blood pressure is for you. Hypertension/high blood pressure is called the silent killer. It can be causing problems before you realize you have high blood pressure.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): Screening is an ultrasound of your abdomen. Men age 65 or older are at a higher risk for AAA. The issue is that if you have one it needs to be monitored as there are not symptoms until it is a big problem, at times requiring emergent surgery. You can find the recommendations according to medicare here.
Skin Cancer Screenings: It is suggested to have a screening yearly. Most primary care providers do this when you have your yearly physical. You can also have these at a dermatologist office. The recommendations from the American cancer society can be found here.
While it easy to skip screenings and preventive care I challenge you to keep up to date on your screenings. Talk with your primary care provider to see what all screenings you need.45
As we explore life after 50, one of the things we need to make a priority is preventative care. Preventative care is different for men than for women so I will do these in two separate post. Preventative care for women 50 and over, Includes colonoscopy(newest recommendation is 45), mammogram, lab work, pap, clinic breast and cervical exam, bone density exam and any others that your primary care provider may discuss with you.
Colonoscopy: At age 45 is recommended for first colonoscopy. Then if normal every ten years, unless something happens that requires earlier check. You have options, you could do nothing, occult stool cards, small bowel follow through. However, if any positives…. colonoscopy is recommended. Colonoscopy is the gold standard. Getting a visual of the lining of the large intestine (colon). Most insurances are covering the cost, check with yours to see what is covered. American Cancer Society recommendations.
There are many results that
might be found, I will discuss the common ones.
Normal: speaks for itself.
Hemorrhoids: small “skin
tag” looking areas. Normally benign but can be painful. Can
have blood clots in them requiring them to be lanced (opened).
Diverticulosis: small out
pouching of the colon. Usually benign, but if they get irritated, can
become infected, causing pain and illness. Requiring a visit to primary
care and or emergent care. They can bleed which can be an emergency. Special diets help to keep these from becoming
irritated.
Polyps: these can be
benign, precancerous or cancerous. Depending on the number and what
category they fall within depends on what follow up is needed.
Colonoscopies are normally recommended
every 10 years if normal starting at age 50, unless you have a first degree
relative who has colon cancer then it is suggested 10 years prior to when they
were diagnosed if that is before age 50.
Follow ups depend on the initial screening.
Clinical breast and cervical exam: Going to see your primary care physician for a clinical breast exam and cervical exam (if you still have your uterus). If you have had a hysterectomy it will depend on what your primary care provider and or GYN recommends for this exam. CDC recommendations for breast cancer screenings. Cervical exam screening recommendations by CDC.
Mammogram: Yearly exam of your breast that can find cancer before it is felt by the self-exam. You should do monthly self-exams, and if you feel something go to your primary care for further eval, even if it has not been a year since last exam. If something has changed or looks concerning the radiologist may suggest that you return for spot compression views. Then if there is continued concerns further testing may be warranted. Breast ultrasounds are also used in some cases to get better view what the area of concern. The radiologist, Primary care provider or GYN will guide you to the best imagining. CDC has guideline recommendations.
Labs: your doctor may have already started with initial labs, checking your complete blood count, cholesterol, kidney and liver function, and blood sugar. Find your answers about lab test here.
Blood pressure: as we age many adults have high blood pressure it is a good idea to monitor this at least yearly. If you see a monitor at your local store, go ahead and measure your blood pressure. Write down the numbers, or put them in your smart phone note pad, they will be available to share at your next appointment. While many factors go into your blood pressure, the old 120/80 or lower is still a good number to by, however talk with your primary care provider to find out what the optimal blood pressure is for you. Hypertension or high blood pressure is called the silent killer as there are few if any symptoms but start causing changes in your body before you realize you have a problem.
Bone density exam: these are completed at the hospital. This exam is painless and looks at the density(strength) of your bones. Women more than men have issues with bone loss. Calcium helps our bones to be strong. As we age the calcium is leached from our bones if we do not have enough circulating for other body functions. Therefore our bones get weak. Ways to keep your bones strong are taking some extra calcium daily. Look at the recommendations for dosage on your favorite over the counter supplement. Exercise and light weight training also help keep our bones strong. Information from the US preventative task force recommendations.
Skin Cancer Screenings: It is suggested to have a screening yearly. Most primary care providers do this when you have your yearly physical. You can also have these at a dermatologist office. National Cancer Institute recommendations.
This is a list of important preventive measures I feel important for those of us ladies over 50. Remember to talk with your primary care provider for their recommendations and discuss what is best for you.
It
was once said by Bruce Lee ” it’s better to be a Warrior in the garden,
then to be a gardener in the war ” As soon as I heard this, I thought
about the warrior that we all should be for our health. We have the opportunity
on a daily basis to make a decision on what we put in our mouth and what we do
for our bodies each day.
Today
am I going to wake up and have donut for breakfast or maybe oatmeal or maybe a
good whole grain cereal. Should I park as close to the door as I can, or am I
going to park out a way in the parking lot, so that I can get more steps in
today? We have to consciously make these
decisions every day all day long.
It’s
not a secret my family are mostly all overweight, we have heart disease,
diabetes, cancer, arthritis throughout my family. As my blog implies exploring
life after 50. Many of us heard when we were younger, 50 years old is over the
Hill; the golden years aren’t near as golden as they appear; when I wake up,
I’m going to hurt because I am old. Another daily thought process must
become am I going to live my life by these quotations that I’ve heard? Is 50
really over the hill for me? Are my golden years really not going to be
golden? Do I have to hurt every morning when I get out of bed? I’m going to
take each of these and discuss them, as if I were having this discussion with
myself every morning.
Is
50 really over the Hill? Is being over the hill really a bad thing? Honestly,
I don’t feel any older at 50 then I did at 49, 48, 47. I feel young, I feel I
can do most things, I feel hungry for more education, experiences and
life. So, to answer my question is 50 over the hill? Have I walked through that
meadow and I’m now seeing that hill and climbing up or am I at the top, or sliding
down the hill. I think I am still climbing, exploring new life experiences,
life learning, love.
Are
the golden years really not that golden? I hear this over and over again and
unfortunately yes; our bodies are getting older even if our minds don’t
particularly believe. Yes, as we look as
our population as a whole our health tends to decline over a time period this
is where I go back to the initial saying of “it’s better to be a Warrior in the
garden, then a gardener in the war”. If we take time every day and we ask
ourselves the questions above am I going to walk a little farther today? Am I going
to lift some light weights today? Am I going to do something for me today? I
hope your answer is “yes” It’s in those times that I feel we are able to become
that Warrior in our garden. When our
garden turns to a war of illness the healthier, the better fit we are prior to
that illness the better we are able to take the reins and fight that illness.
If we spend our lives being the gardener, we have a beautiful life. When that
war comes, when our flowers are no longer blooming are, we prepared to fight
that war? Be the warrior, be ready.
For
the last question for the day do I have to hurt when I wake up? I’m sure we can
all remember when we were young and as our parents or grandparents would get up
from the bed in the morning or get up from a chair, they would moan or groan say
ouch. Remember thinking is that really going
to be me some day. There are certain things in life that we are most likely not
going to avoid especially if they’re in our family histories, osteoarthritis;
Uncle author always outstays his welcome. While we’re probably going to have
arthritis in some part of our body at some point in our lives, how are we going
to deal with that period? I plan to deal with that by doing a few things,
eating a better diet that lower in Inflammatory type foods. Using exercise to stay as strong as I can.
While there is not a cure for arthritis there are things that can make it feel
better therefore by doing these 2 items, I can hopefully delay the discomforts
and ouch that hurts a little while longer.
Of course, there are other ways to deal with the pain chiropractor
treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, medications. However, the aches and pains will be there
and we will have to tolerate what we can and control what is our wheelhouse to
control.
I realize today’s posting is a little long especially for only answering 3 questions am I over the Hill, I’d say NO. Are the golden years really not that golden? I say mine are going to be golden as long as I have the mind and ability to believe there golden. And finally, do I really have to hurt when I get out of bed in the morning? Probably at some point but it’s my choice on how I handle that pain and what I do to try to alleviate that pain, and/or prolong the onset of that. My challenge for you is move forth in life today think about what it is that you can do to improve your life just one small way today.
Today
we’ll discuss care giving for our elderly family. As we age, at some point we
need help, those of us who are 50 and exploring our lives have found out. There
becomes the reality that our parents who are now seventies, eighties, or nineties
or older need some help. Sometimes that help is as easy as mowing the yard or
it can be as complicated as they their need to move in with us or have full-time
care givers. We find ourselves looking
for full-time care givers, hiring them can be very costly. As we’ve discussed
in my retirement postings our income decreases when we retire. While our parents as have worked hard and have
saved for this time in life the cost is surprising. Many families find this
cost prohibitive to actually pay an individual to give full time care. The
families then take this task on, some have other family members whom they can
share this task and some of which cannot.
For married couples sometimes that’s the
spouse who takes on the full-time caregiver position. Being a full-time
caregiver can be very tiring for the individual who is giving the care. There
are taxing chores, a balance that must be met between what the person needing
care is used to and wishes versus what they care giver is used to and is able
to give. Many caregivers take on this role possibility unknowingly giving up
more of themselves to the care of the family member then they care for
themselves.
We must
as outsiders looking in be sure that were able to give some relief to the
caregivers in our families. If as a care
giver you do not have an individual who can come and relieve you allow you to
have some “you” time, I recommend you speak with primary care provider. They
can see if home health may be warranted and be paid through insurance. As a
care giver if you don’t take care of yourself, you’re not able to take care of
the individual that you have chosen to take care.
Many
areas do have caregiver support groups, that you might find beneficial. You
might be able to find that insurance will pay for maybe 8 hours a week of care
giving support so that you’re able to take care of yourself. There are respite
to programs in some areas, I would check with your local nursing facilities to
see if they offer respite. Respite is when the person is taken to a facility
for several hours or a day to be cared for during that time. Long term
facilities will be able to tell you what the requirements are and/or what the
cost of might be for that respite care.
You
might think when you decide to become a care giver would be that you can handle
whatever is brought to you or ask of you. The stress of caregiving is real and
needs to be addressed from the beginning. So, if you are a care giver, I
challenge you to find time for yourself, make time for yourself. Whether that
be a few hours a week that you’re able to go shopping, get your hair done, get
your nails done. Whatever that might be spending time with a friend, going to
the park again whatever it is that makes you happy that you be sure to take
that time for you. If you are a family member of someone who has a full-time
caregiver, I challenge you, to make time to give that full-time care giver a
break. Give1,2.3 hours of your time each week to that person without any
strings attached so that they have time for themselves.
We all
feel the need to be helpful, we just don’t always see what is in front of us.
