As a part of the upcoming Long Term Care Awareness Month, MetLife Mature Market Institute is making available six tip sheets offering advice for older Americans and those caring for them. They include:
1. Choosing An Assisted Living Facility
4. Advocating for a Family Member
5. Choosing an Adult Day Service
6. Caregiving and Alzheimer’s Disease
According to the National Family Caregivers Association, family caregivers suffer from major depression much more frequently than the rest of the population. Not only is this putting the caregiver at risk, but also the person they are caregiving for.
In many cases it’s hard to determine if you yourself are depressed. But thanks to many online sources, you can start the process of gaining help with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Depression Screening is a site where you can learn more about depression, and take depression screening test. While this isn’t a full diagnosis, it can make you aware of some of your symptoms, and begin to point you in the direction of help.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 50 percent of caregivers die before the person they are caring for.
Caregiving is a stressful job. As stress builds, it manifests into a variety of health concerns. People that face long term stress are more likely to suffer a stroke, are at a greater risk for heart a
ttack, are more likely to develop cancer, and are at a greater risk for auto-immune diseases such as diabetes, headaches and depression.
The only way to move out of this trend is to allow some individual time, away from the caregiving role. Many caregivers use the excuse they don’t have time or have no one else to rely on. Instead of using this as excuses, find ways to ensure your own individual time.
Rely on other relatives, friends, or neighbors to do small tasks. Maybe a friend can take your loved one out for dinner and a movie. Or if they aren’t mobile, they can bring dinner in and watch a movie on television.
Hire professional caregivers for weekly supplemental tasks. Maybe they can come in two mornings a week while you attend a yoga class and lunch with friends.
Don’t do your loved one’s household chores. This will double up on your own tasks - monitoring two households - and will double up on your stress levels. Hire the gardener to mow the lawn. Hire a maid for light housekeeping. Hire a handyman for fix up projects.
Also watch this site and sign up for our blog posts or newsletter. We’ll provide you with tips and strategies to ensure you stay healthy, and are there for your loved one for as long as they need you.
Photo Source zweettooth
Caregiving is a hard job with little recognition and lots of stress. How are you handling it?
AARP has an interactive Caregiver Stress Quiz that will allow you to answer a few questions, and it will make recommendations based on your answers. It’s a great way of finding out if you’re going through normal amounts of stress - or if you should find ways of relieving your stress. 
The best way to relieve stress is to ask for a helping hand once in awhile. Your parents or loved one may rely on you for a lot of things. But in order to keep yourself healthy, it’s important to ask for help when you need it.
When you’re finished taking the Caregiver Stress Quiz, make sure you read the Managing The Stress: Tips For The Caregiver article . It will offer you additional ways to help you get through your busy, ever changing days.
Your mom wants to head back to her 50th class reunion - you want to take the family to the beach. Yet you only have time for a one week vacation - what do you do?
Rather than giving in and helping your mom back to her home state, and being with her while she visits old friends, why not have the best of both worlds?
Caregiving doesn’t have to take place just inside the home. Why not hire a travel companion? Someone who is specialized in caregiving, and can help with all her needs - large to small.
Studies increasingly show that the more mobile, the more social we can be as we age, the better we’ll be and the longer we’ll live. Even if your mom is having some trouble living on her own, allowing her to socialize with old friends may pick up her spirits, and improve her mind.
And with a week to yourself with your own family, what could be better?
It’s summer time - time to spend a week with your family. Head to the mountains for a much needed break. Or maybe head to the beach for a week of play in the sand with the kids.
Does that sound impossible?
For many caregivers of aging parents, the idea of a true vacation seems like an impossible goal. How can you leave your mom or dad? Who will make sure she gets to her doctor’s appointments? Who will cook for her? Who will make sure she’s taking her medicine?
If you’re working full time, your job gives you a few weeks of vacation per year. They understand the importance of giving you a break - a time to do something completely out of the ordinary, relax, and get into a new fram
e of mind. But with caregiving, there’s no one to take your place if you leave. Yet leaving and giving yourself a break is just what you need to do.
There are ways to give yourself that much needed break.
1. Have a brother or sister, aunt or cousin living in another state? Ask them to come out and sit with your mom for a week. They can be your mom’s "right hand" for a week - and give you your much needed break.
2. Depending on how well your loved one is doing, you may consider sending them to a family member or friend in another location. A week out of their own home and daily lifestyle may be a positive move for them as well.
3. Hire an in-home care giver to provide you with support. They are available for one or two hours a day, or can provide 24 hour care - whatever you need. Because they’re fully trained, you’ll be able to rely on their services, and put your mind at ease while resting on the beach.
A broken hip is a common injury among the elderly, especially those aged 75 and over. In the U.S., about 300,000 Americans are hospitalized for a hip injury every year, and around 5 percent will die from their injuries.
Hip fractures are common in the elderly due to weakened bones and osteoporosis. Hip fractures are also seen more frequently in the female sex, Caucasian race, and those individuals with a slight build.
In order to decrease your risk for falling, there are several things to keep in mind:
Education. Learning about falls is a great step towards prevention. Them more you know, the more steps you can take to ensure a fall never happens. Learn through sites dedicated to the elderly, and get on newsletters or signups to receive information on further prevention.
Exercise to increase strength and balance. As seniors reduce their activity and spend more time in chairs in their homes, their bodie
s become more fragile. It’s important to keep moving, even if it is within the home. Find senior exercise videos that are appropriate for their exercise level. Take a walk on a nice day. Get them out of their homes as much as possible. Field trips to their favorite stores or events can be good for both their physical and mental being.
Review your medications. Some combinations of medicines may put seniors at risk because of interaction. Monitor any changes in medicines for the first few weeks to ensure a seniors safety.
Modify your home surroundings to reduce hazards. Because seniors spend a majority of their time at home, ensure that it is a safe environment. They may love the rug that’s been there for years, but it may also be a tripping hazard. Review each room, and offer help in redecorating for safety.
Want to know what your risk is for breaking your hip? Check out this hip fracture calculator.
As a caregiver, it’s not only important for you to keep your loved one in the best shape possible, it’s also important to take care of yourself as well.
Now there’s good news for women who follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hy
pertension (DASH) diet. DASH is a diet low in animal protein, moderate in lo-fat dairy products and high in plant proteins, fruits and vegetables. According to a report in the April Issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, women on the DASH diet appear to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
The study looked at women’s eating habits over the course of 24 years. Their scores increased when they ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and decreased when they consumed red meats, sweetened beverages and sodium. The higher a woman’s DASH score, the lower her risk of heart disease and stroke.
To give yourself better odds, start a DASH diet today. And if you aren’t getting our newsletter, sign up today. Every month we provide a new recipe for you to try, helping you stick with your DASH diet.
photosource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84059604@N00/348071332
It’s springtime - time to get outside and enjoy the best weather we’ve had in months.
If you’ve stayed inside to avoid the cold and icy conditions the past few months, spring can be a welcome relief. And to enjoy it even more, now is the time to start thinking health, and enjoying the nice weather as much as you can.
Here are three tips to help you get in shape this season. 
1. Choose meals that are full of color. Your local farmers market or your local produce section will soon be filled with colorful fruits and vegetables. Choose an assortment to help keep you healthy, and fight off diseases.
2. Enjoy at least one salad per day. Smart eating includes fruits and vegetables, but it also includes legumes and nuts. Try adding a handful of almonds, cashews, pecans, or flaxseed to your next salad for a new twist.
3. Stop dieting. Make a commitment to improving what you eat, not limiting what you eat. Yo-Yo dieting doesn’t help your shape, and it won’t improve your health. Instead concentrate on making better choices, and eating what’s truly good for you.
4. Start a walking routine. Enjoy a mid-afternoon break with a walk around your neighborhood. Enjoy the people in the park, and make a few new friends. Start by walking 20 minutes 3 times per week, and increase it to 40 minutes 5 times per week over the next few weeks, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
5. Don’t forget the water. As you eat better and get out more, don’t forget to drink more as well. Water is an important part of staying hydrated, and helping you feel your best at all times.
I ran across a wonderful caregiver article today that talks about being a caregiver, and how you can become more effective at it.
I like the author’s take on becoming a FAR caregiver.
FAR stands for forgiveness, acceptance, and realism.
In order to be effective, it’s important to forgive what’s happened in the past, and concentrate on today. It’s important to except what is, and realize you can’t change it - you must accept it. It’s also important to believe you are doing all you can for your loved one, and don’t waste precious moments on wishing what could be.
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