Coping with Caregiver Stress in Northern California

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.   According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 10 million family caregivers.   Caregivers tend to experience high levels of stress and anxiety, and it is important to recognize the signs of such stress.  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you have any questions, or need help for an aging loved one in the area.

Coping with Caregiver Stress

Alzheimer caregivers report that they frequently experience high levels of stress. Too much stress can be damaging to both a caregiver and the person with Alzheimer’s.

If you experience some of these signs of stress on a regular basis, consult your doctor. Ignoring them can cause your physical and mental health to decline.

Symptoms of caregiver stress

Denial

Anger

Social withdrawal

Anxiety

Depression

Exhaustion

Sleeplessness

Irritability

Lack of concentration

Health problems

Be a healthy caregiver

Taking care of yourself is one of the most important ways to be a healthy caregiver.

Know what resources are available. Adult day care, in-home assistance, visiting nurses and Meals-on-Wheels are just some of the services that can help you.

Become an educated caregiver. As the disease progresses, new caregiving skills are necessary. Find information on alz.org or contact your local Alzheimer’s Association.

Get help. You are not failing as a caregiver by asking others for assistance. Seek the support of family, friends and community resources. Alzheimer’s Association support group meetings are a good source of comfort and reassurance. Or you can join our online community.

Take care of yourself. Watch your diet, exercise and get plenty of rest. Make time for shopping, lunch with friends or even a golf outing. Take advantage of community services such as adult day care or in-home companion services to care for your loved one while you take a break.

Manage your stress level. Stress can cause physical problems and changes in behavior. If you experience symptoms of caregiver stress, use relaxation techniques that work for you, and consult your doctor.

Accept changes as they occur. People with Alzheimer’s change and so do their needs. They often require care beyond what you can provide on your own. Look into care services such as in-home caregiver services and residential care.

Do legal and financial planning. Consult an attorney to discuss legal, financial and care issues. If possible and appropriate, involve the person with Alzheimer’s and other family members.

Be realistic. Many of the behaviors that occur are beyond your control and the control of the person with Alzheimer’s. Grieve your losses, but also focus on the positive moments.

Give yourself credit, not guilt. You are doing the best you can. Don’t feel guilty because you can’t do more. Your loved one needs you, and you are there – that should make you feel proud.

Original content found HERE. http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_caregiver_stress_lwa.asp

Family Caregivers of Seniors with Alzheimer’s in Northern, California

Here is a great article from agingcare.com for anyone who has a friend or family member who may be suffering with Alzheimer’s.   If you have questions, or need help for a senior loved one in the area, visit us at www.americarenorcal.com.

‘Tough Love’ – Caregiving For Alzheimer’s Patients

It is an understatement to say that taking care of a loved one who is stricken with Alzheimer’s Disease, also known as ‘AD’, is a tough job.

(AD is an illness which results in the progressive loss of brain nerve cells, leading to a gradual decline of mental functions and is the most common cause of dementia).

AD is considered to be among the most stressful illness a family caregiver can face and one of the most physically and mentally exhausting situations in a person’s life.

Continue reading HERE.

Celebrating Northern California Family Caregivers!

November is National Family Caregivers Month!  Below are 10 ways to celebrate.  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you need caregiving help in the area.

Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month 2009

There are many ways to celebrate family caregivers and to take action and communicate the important messages of NFC Month.

The following are ideas and guides to help you create a successful National Family Caregivers Month in your community:

1. Offer a few hours of respite time to a family caregiver so they spend time with friends, or simply relax.
2. Send a card of appreciation or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up a family caregiver’s day.
3. Encourage local businesses to offer a free service for family caregivers through the month of November.
4. Participate in the National Family Caregivers Association’s FREE national teleclass: Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps The free one hour teleclass/webinar will be November 12 at 2 p.m. ET. For more information visit: www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
5. Help a family caregiver decorate their home for the holidays or offer to address envelopes for their holiday cards.
6. Offer comic relief! Purchase tickets to a local comedy club, give a family caregiver your favorite funny movie to view, or provide them an amusing audio book to listen to while doing their caregiving activities.
7. Find 12 different family photos and have a copy center create a monthly calendar that the family caregiver can use to keep track of appointments and events.
8. Offer to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a caregiving family in your community, so they can just relax and enjoy the holiday.
9. A United States postage stamp honoring the more than 50 million family caregivers in America is officially “under consideration” by the U.S. Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for introduction as early as 2011. Sign the petition at www.thefamilycaregiver.org and ask others to sign the petition letter.
10. Help a family caregiver find information and resources on the internet or to locate a local support group.

Original content can be found HERE.

Northern California Seniors-Keep Your Diabetes in Check

Keeping diabetes in check between doctor visits

(ARA) – Americans are taking a closer look at their own personal health and assessing changes they can make, as the topic of health care remains front and center. More and more, people are paying attention to the cost of prevention and care for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, as they have a high risk for health complications.

Diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, an increase of more than 3 million in approximately two years, according to 2007 prevalence data estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If not controlled, diabetes in particular can lead to serious health complications including heart disease, blindness and kidney failure. That’s why it is extremely important to manage the disease on a daily basis.

To stay healthy and avoid potential consequences, people with diabetes can take steps every day to manage the disease. In addition to eating a balanced diet and exercising, this also involves monitoring blood glucose levels each day and seeing their physician regularly to check in and monitor their A1C levels – a test that provides a two to three month indication of average of blood glucose.

Understanding Dementia in Northern California

Dementia-More Than Just Memory Loss

Here is a great article that I found by Senior Daily Living.  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you need help for an aging loved one in the area.

“As we age, we naturally have difficulty remembering things or finding the right words to say. This is normal. However, Dementia is not normal. The condition causes mental changes that make it difficult to function and carry out our normal lives, not just remember names and dates.”

Continue reading HERE.

 

Understanding and Mastering Medications in Northern California

Master Your Meds

Here is a great article I found from Senior Daily Living.  If you need help for an aging senior in the Solano, Napa, Alameda, or Contra Costa County CA areas, visit www.americarenorcal.com.

“We are fortunate for the advances in western medicine. It seems like there is a medication for every possible ailment threatening senior citizens. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can treat diseases, minimize symptoms, and contribute to a longer, healthier life.”

“However, medication cannot be “taken lightly”, and is a more complicated issue than just swallowing pills.”

Continue reading HERE. http://www.seniordailyliving.com/Articles/TopArticles/MasterYourMeds.html

Elderly Drivers in Northern, California

Here is a great article for anyone who is facing that very difficult conversation with an aging loved one, that it may be time to stop driving.  If you need help for a senior loved one in the Solano, Napa, Alameda or Contra Costa County CA areas, visit www.americarenorcal.com.  

Elderly Drivers: Stop or Go?

By Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.

Without so much as a tap on the brakes, my aunt whizzed through another stop sign.

“What are you doing?” I shrieked. “That was a stop sign.”

“Oh,” she replied rather offhandedly, “they just put those there so you’ll look before you go into an intersection.”

That was the day I stopped riding with my aunt but not the day she stopped driving. From then on, I had visions of an enormous pink Chevy leading a parade of cascading accidents. And I wasn’t far from wrong.

She drove with what she knew to be the utmost caution. . . .never exceeding 30 miles per hour, even on I35! She expected, even demanded that traffic would give way to her like the seas parted for Moses. Sometimes, it did. But mostly, driving with her was a harrowing experience with no end in sight.

So, when do the elderly become a menace on the roads? And, what can you do when they refuse to give up the keys? Here are a few suggestions I’ve found.

Causes for Concern

Northern California Seniors and Diabetes – What You Need To Know

Here is a very helpful article for seniors with diabetes from Senior Daily Living.  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you need help in the Solano, Napa, Alameda or Contra Costa County CA areas.

“Diabetes impairs the health and well-being of 16 million people in the United States, and senior citizens run a particular risk. Due to already existent challenges to their health and lifestyle, it is more difficult to diagnose seniors with diabetes. Often other illnesses can mask diabetic symptoms.”

“Seniors with diabetes run a greater risk of complications like heart disease, stroke, loss of limbs from poor circulation, kidney disease and even blindness.”

Continue reading HERE.

Hairstylists Can Help Seniors in Need in Northern, California

Here is a very interesting article that I thought you would enjoy!  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you need help with a senior loved one in the area.

Study Suggests Hairstylists Can Help Identify Senior Citizens in Need of Health Services

‘Hair stylists are in a great position to notice when their older clients are starting to suffer from depression, dementia, or self-neglect’

By Jeff Grabmeier

Hairstylists may have a unique opportunity to help steer their elderly clients to needed health services, according to a small, exploratory study.  Continue reading HERE.

Pets Improve Senior Health in Northern California

You Gotta Friend-Improving Health with a Furry Companion

Here is a great article from Senior Daily Living.  Visit us at www.americarenorcal.com if you need help with an aging loved one in the Solano, Napa, Alameda, or Contra Costa County areas.

Pets are healers.  The blind love and affection that animals can bring to their owners is like therapy.  They are friends, companions, and a three-ring circus-act all wrapped up in one.   Needing to take responsibility for another life brings meaning to one’s own life, and keeps one active and useful.  Continue reading HERE.