It’s just like a vacation.
That’s what the 101-year-old calls her occasional stays in personal care at a Diakon Senior Living Community.
“My family—I am so fortunate to live with them—travels a lot during the year. They work hard and certainly deserve that time away,” says the woman.
“And I certainly never want to be a burden!”
You need a time out!
Well … not the type you might assign your child!
Your time out is from caregiving.
Caring for a loved one who requires daily support is a full-time job. No one doubts that.
And that job can be especially involving if your loved one has a chronic health condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. Often, providing care can take its toll on you as well, affecting physical and emotional well-being.
As with any job, you deserve an occasional timeout to rest, recharge and return to your role with renewed energy.
Unfortunately, many caregivers ignore the need for a break. Whether they
feel fully responsible for meeting every one of their loved one’s
needs—or they simply don’t know how to obtain help—caregivers can
quickly burn out.
If that occurs, the situation can affect other aspects of your life, including not only your physical health but also emotional stability, family relationships and more.
Moreover, when you’re drained, it’s hard to give your best to the person depending on you for care.
Respite care is an ideal solution for busy caregivers hoping to avoid burnout and practice some necessary self-care.
Respite care is frequently offered by senior living communities, such as those within Diakon Senior Living Services, on a day-by-day basis, or by such programs as Diakon Adult Day Services, which has locations in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and Hagerstown, Maryland.
Using respite care for a few days or weeks can help you to take care of yourself, while knowing your loved one is being cared for by professionals in an environment that promotes socialization and engagement with others.
In “Respite Care for the Elderly Is Important for Family Caregivers,” author Shelley Webb, RN, describes the benefits of taking a time out:
Click here to read more.
You probably have witnessed it: An older relative who just does not eat the same way he or she once did.
As we age, our bodies undergo inevitable changes, even when we’re at our best health. Many of these changes affect how we consume, absorb and use the nutrients from food.
Without awareness of these changes, we can easily begin to experience a decrease in health because of lack of nutrients.
To stay healthy, older adults—or those caring for them—need to recognize the biological changes as well as habitual obstacles that keep them from optimal nutritional health. They need to know how to adapt their lifestyles and diets to overcome such challenges.
Biological changes that affect nutrition
The simple process of aging can affect many ways our bodies consume and use nutrients from our food. Click here to consider the following…
Every year, tens of thousands of family caregivers deliver support and personal care to loved ones without training, pay or, in many cases, help from anyone.
In fact, family caregivers make up the core of our nation’s caregiving workforce, yet they often struggle with financial challenges, workplace issues, stress-induced health problems and more.
In January, the RAISE Family Caregivers Act became law, starting an initiative to better support family caregivers on both local and national levels.
RAISE stands for Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage. The RAISE Act will create a nationwide strategy to support family caregivers by providing education and resources, fixing workplace issues that limit a loved one’s ability to provide care and assessing current and future health systems to ensure caregivers’ central role in their loved one’s care.
With the act passed, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has 18 months to develop a strategy to bolster family caregivers in their roles. Along with the HHS secretary, an advisory council made up of caregivers themselves, older adults, veterans, adults with disabilities, health and long-term care providers, employers and state and local officials will work together to make recommendations for the new approach.
Click here to read more about what the RAISE Act is supposed to do…
