Care giving is demanding- and it’s normal to need a break.  Most caregivers like the idea of “me” time but are convinced they can’t find it. Seeking help does not make you a failure. Taking your “Me Time” will help you to relax and revitalize. Schedule a day or two that you can set aside just for yourself and stick to the plan. Remember that respite services benefit the person with dementia as well as you, the caregiver.

Asking Family & Friends for Help

It’s not always easy to ask for help, even when you desperately need it. Perhaps you’re afraid to impose on others or worried that your request will be resented or rejected. But if you simply make your needs known, you may be pleasantly surprised by the willingness of others to pitch in. Many times, friends and family members want to help, but don’t know how. Here are a few ways to make it easier for them:

• Set aside one-on-one time to talk to the person
• Go over the list of care giving needs
• Point out areas in which they might be of service (maybe your brother is good at Internet research, or your friend is a financial whiz)
• Make sure the person understands what would be most helpful to both you and the care giving recipient

Exercise & Maintain Your Health

• Exercise regularly. Try to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress and boost your energy. So get moving, even if you’re tired.
• Eat right. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress and get through busy days. Keep your energy up and your mind clear by eating nutritious meals at regular times throughout the day.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs. It can be tempting to turn to substances for escape when life feels overwhelming, but they can easily compromise the quality of your care giving. Instead, try dealing with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get enough sleep. Aim for an average of eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep every night. Otherwise, your energy level, productivity, and ability to handle stress will suffer.
• Keep up with your own health care. Go to the doctor and dentist on schedule, and keep up with your own prescriptions or medical therapy. As a caregiver, you need to stay as strong and healthy as possible.

 Join a Support Group

As a caregiver, support groups can offer you the opportunity to improve your coping skills, to learn specific skills that are helpful in managing your care giving responsibilities, and to hear experiences from others that might provide you with solace when you are feeling stressed or feeling at your wit’s end with the care giving experience. One of the main benefits of a support group is that it helps caregivers to see that they are not alone in their experience, as others are having some very similar experiences. This can make it easier to continue to do what it takes to care for their loved one.

 Take Up a Hobby

Exploring a hobby is a beneficial way to help combat the stresses of care giving. Hobbies like gardening, crafts, and learning to play an instrument can give you valuable personal time to yourself. Letting your loved one get involved could also be a fun activity for them as well.  Scrapbooking, for instance, is a wonderful way to preserve and discuss memories together, as well as promote some motor skills. Hobbies will also help you get through your busy week by giving you something special to look forward to.

We hope this Monday Mojo was beneficial for you and opened your eyes tosome  positive ideas to get you through your week. For more information or to join a support group, feel free to call us at 561-588-4545.  Have a great week!

• We’ve Reduced Our Geriatric Care Management Rates
• Coaching for Caregivers ~ Distinctions Between Coaching and Therapy
• Caregiver Conversations™  - What To Look For When Choosing an Assisted Living Facility
• Message for Family Caregivers
• Dementia Specific Hurricane Preparedness Program
• Summer Vacation Planning Tips
• Two New Support Groups for Caregivers
• Navigating the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center
• Alzheimer’s Caregiving DVD’s
• June Events Calendar

You can read the newsletter here!

A calm, warm coaching session enables a caregiver to experience mindful, focused attention on his or her personal health and well-being, while exploring the unique caregiving challenges they are currently facing.

The coaching dynamic enhances self-awareness by quieting a caregiver’s emotional frenzy for a short time, turning out distractions, eliciting positive emotions about what is going well, and enabling a curious and engaged inquiry into “what are the caregiving challenges you are facing right now”?

Coaching clients define and decide what they want to work on as they navigate their new or existing role as a full-time caregiver.  Their coach educates, guides, supports and directs the process to assure the caregiver get the results they want and need.

What are the differences between a therapist, consultant, mentor and coach?

The simple answer might be best understood like this: Let’s say you wanted to learn to drive a car.  If you hired a:

Therapist - the therapist would help you find out what might be holding you back from driving the car.  He would delve into your past to discover what kinds of experience you have had with automobiles.

Consultant - the consultant would bring you an owner’s manual and tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the workings of a car.  The consultant would then leave you.  She might return six months later to see how you had managed the actual driving part.

Mentor - the mentor would share her experiences of driving cars and the wisdom and lessons she had learned in her more rich experience with the matter.

Coach - the coach would seat you in the car, place himself in the passenger seat, and teach you key life skills and emotional regulation, encourage and support you, and help you reach your goals and hold you accountable until you felt comfortable enough to go it alone.

A professional coach recognizes the core differences between therapy and coaching and can listen for cues or red flags that might suggest a referral to a psychotherapist, either in addition to coaching or in place of coaching, might be indicated.  A professional coach is equipped to:

• Recognize when a referral might be indicated for psychotherapy and/or medical assessment.
• Discern when a client is actually asking for counseling but prefers to call it “coaching.”
• Understand how the intensity and longevity of blocks, ruts, and fears differ in high functioning coaching clients from blocks, ruts, and fears, in clients who need psychotherapy to move beyond their stuck place.

There are some basic distinctions between traditional psychotherapy and professional coaching that are important to point out.

While this list of distinctions does not paint a complete picture of either therapy or Coaching, our aim is to simply clarify the respective roles of the two professions.

To learn more about Coaching for Caregivers™ or to schedule a consultation, call us at 855-476-7600

Today’s Wednesday Workshop features  Mike Penn, Director of Community Relations with ElderCare at Home and Ina Zimmerman of  Barrington Terrace having a Caregiver Conversation on what to look for when choosing an assisted living facility.

Explain the difference between assisted living and a skilled nursing facility, or “nursing home”:

An assisted living community is really an extension of someone’s home. The idea is to maintain as much independence as possible while still providing help with one or more activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, dressing, laundry, transportation, etc.. There is also assistance with medication management. At Barrington Terrace, new residents need to be able to stand and pivot. Those with more serious conditions, for example requiring full body lifts from staff, or a continual need for medical care such as diabetic wound treatments, would likely need to be in a skilled setting, or may be accommodated by additional fees. However, once someone has established residency, some of these services can be provided by the community for an additional cost, or through an outside contractor. Every community is different, so these are important questions to be asked.

What should families look for when considering an assisted living community for their loved one:

First, is the staff friendly and engaged? The receptionist at the front desk should be friendly and welcoming, and as you tour the community see the interactions between the staff, you as a guest, and the residents. Look also at the overall reaction from residents. There will always be a few who would have difficulty in any setting, but if the overall feeling from the residents is a positive one that’s a good sign.

Second, call it the smell test. While there is likely to be some trace smell from incontinence in any community, the overall cleanliness of the community and the residents is extremely important. If smells are strong, residents look dirty or unkempt, or the community looks like it is not well-maintained, that usually translates into other issues that may not be as visible to an outsider.

Third, the quality of the food being served. Families should definitely have a meal there, and if possible have their loved one do so also. Food is an important part of daily life, not only because of its nutritional content but also because mealtimes should be enjoyable and are an important part of socialization. While the dietary needs of elders often lead to more bland tasting fare, eye appeal and variety are important factors.

Fourth, what activities are available to residents. There should be a well-well rounded schedule of daily events that have broad appeal, such as music, movies, games, physical exercise and social outings. If your loved one has special interests, are those available either in the building or nearby in the larger community. Transportation is also an important factor here; no one lives in their home 24/7 so shopping, cultural events, and outings are all important to quality of life.

Finally, how are health problems handled? If skilled care is necessary, are there accommodations in the building? If not, what options are nearby? What about relationships with outside contractors who can provide these services?

What additional considerations are involved if a loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia:

First, assisted living can be an excellent option for most dementia patients. They do not need to worry about preparing meals, there is help available for their daily needs, and they are in a home-like environment that will provide the social stimulation they need. The main reason to consider a memory-care facility is safety. If your loved one is wandering, leaving the building, then it is necessary to place them in a secure, locked environment. The other big difference is that where activities in an assisted living community are schedule based, those in memory care need to be much more individualized. Most good memory care communities now have activity stations: a make-up area, a workbench, a desk, so that residents go through their day they can be directed and kept occupied. Music therapy is also very important. The goal is to strive for small accomplishments, for example folding towels or tying shoes, some that gives a sense of purpose to the day.

What about cost?

That is always the first question asked, when it really needs to be the last. The first question is, what does my loved one need to meet their physical needs, and the second is what do they need to meet their intellectual and emotional needs. Once those questions are answered, then the cost for those services can be evaluated and a decision can be made. Assisted living is generally a more affordable option than a skilled nursing facility, but resources such as Medicaid and Veterans benefits also play an important part in the final decision if means are limited.

Barrington Terrace offers assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, and memory care. To find out more about Barrington Terrace in Boynton Beach, please contact Ina Zimmerman at 561.369.7919

The Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center can help families in determining if assisted living is right for their loved one, identify resources, and help families deal with the emotional issues involved with their decision. Our number is 855.476.7600.

ElderCare at Home works with many residents of assisted living and memory care communities to help them stay and be comfortable in their new home. Call 800.209.4342 for more information.

Our support groups are held in our Gathering Place, a warm, nurturing and relaxing environment that enables caregivers to share in a supportive atmosphere.

Caregivers have so many wonderful ways of helping each other and a caregiver support group is a great way to gain insight, tips, advice and guidance from others who are on a similar journey.

Take your time when searching for the best support group.  When you find the one that “clicks”, you will find that it can be a great source of comfort and support.

To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Groups offered at the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center, call us at 561-588-4545.  You can view our calendar of upcoming caregiver support groups in Palm Beach County, here.

The Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center’s geriatric care manager plays a significant role in the discharge planning and post-hospitalization treatment plan process.

As care managers, it is vital that we closely monitor the treatment plan in order to assist in identifying the appropriate discharge recommendations as well as implement them on behalf of the patient, his or her medical team members, and other formal or informal networks, including:

• physical therapy
• occupational therapy
• speech therapy
• skilled nursing
• respiratory therapy
•  infusion services
• private duty and custodial care
• medication management
• durable medical equipment

The geriatric care managers at the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center assure that the care and services the patient requires are coordinated, delivered, monitored and evaluated to meet post-hospitalization treatment plan goals.

To learn more, reach out to the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center at 855-476-7600

Here are some great positive phrases and quotes to keep in mind!

An AARP study found that older people with chronic conditions and their caregivers expressed many concerns about transitions from hospitals and other health care facilities.  Overall, transitions were stressful and created many complicated.

The most frequently mentioned issues were:

• Loss of mobility and independence
• Uncertain expectations for recovery and/or prognosis
• Pain
• Anxiety
• Not remembering their doctor’s instructions
• Feeling abandoned

The most frequently mentioned issues for caregivers were:

• Finding resources, such as medical equipment and services
• Arranging for assistance in and around the home, both paid and unpaid
• Communicating with doctors and other health professionals
• Finances/affordability
• Uncertain expectation for their relative’s or a friend’s recovery and/or prognosis
• Managing their relative’s or friend’s expectations
• Not enough time for competing demands (e.g., care coordination, job, children, self)
• Stress/emotional strain/guilt

More and more families are turning to geriatric care managers to help them manage these types of transitions.  Rather than trying to manage alone, the geriatric care manager can advocate for the patient and help the caregiver navigate through an often complicated system. This helps the caregiver by not only reducing stress but by helping to preserve the emotional stamina that caregivers need.

To learn more about the geriatric care management services offered through the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center and how we can help you navigate your loved ones transition from hospital or rehabilitation center to home, please call us at 561-588-4545

On behalf of the entire staff at the Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center, we’d like to thank all those who have served and who continue to serve. We recognize and sincerely appreciate all that you do and all that you have sacrificed.

We hope that we can continue to be a source of encouragement to you. God bless you and God bless America!