Stress Management for Family Caregivers
Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management also involves changing the stressful situation when possible, changing reactions to the situation when it cannot be changed, taking care of your health, and making time for rest and relaxation. […]
The Need for Respite: Recognizing Caregiver Stress and the Effects of Overload
Family caregivers often find themselves running in emergency mode, and eventually the mind and body pay the price. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. In fact, raised stress levels can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and can speed up the aging […]
What is Respite Care? | New Hampshire Caregivers
Respite care may be the answer you have been looking for to get the rest and relaxation that you need from the daily caregiving grind. HELPGUIDE.org explains that respite care provides time off for family members who care for someone who is ill, injured or frail. Respite care can take place in an adult day […]
Conversation Starters: Care is Needed
Although it may seem difficult at first to set the wheels in motion, addressing that care is needed with aging loved ones can reduce worry and possibly prevent a serious emergency. Need suggestions to start a smooth discussion? Try these conversation openers: Share your concerns. Talk to your loved ones openly and honestly. Knowing that […]
Home for the Holidays: Recognizing Care is Needed
Holiday visits sometimes greet family members with alarming signs that additional care or daily assistance is needed in the home of aging loved ones. With busy schedules or long distances separating families for much of the year, subtle (or not-so-subtle) indicators can easily be missed. This year, make holiday visits a time to evaluate the […]
How Geriatric Care Managers can Help Coordinate Care for Your Loved Ones
Families are wonderful pillars of support, particularly when a loved one needs assistance. But when everyone wants to be involved with a relative’s care, there’s bound to be opposing opinions regarding the care plan and coordination. This is when tempers can begin to rise and family goes from being supportive to stressful. In times of […]
It Takes a Village: Coordinating Long-term, In-home Care
There’s no place like home, and numerous studies show that elderly people prefer to age in the comfort of their own homes as opposed to relocating to an assisted living facility or nursing home. When navigating the many services to help make aging at home comfortable and safe, planning may require the input of a […]
How to Develop an Open Line of Communication with Your Physician
Communication is a key to any successful relationship. When it comes to doctor/patient relationships, communication is also key to receiving the best healthcare possible. However, it is not always easy for patients to talk to their physicians, especially for older Americans – though the older people get, the more important it is for them to […]
How to Make the Most of Your Doctor’s Appointments
Studies show that a typical visit to a doctor averages only 15 to 20 minutes. Additionally, a doctor’s appointment can often seem overwhelming, making it difficult to remember all the questions that need answering during a short appointment. In fact, nearly half of the U.S. population has difficulty understanding health information, and as a result, […]
Shortage of Geriatricians – What It Means for You
Today, there is about one geriatrician for every 2,699 Americans aged 75 and older. By 2030, the American Geriatrics Society estimates that while the population of older adults will have doubled to 70 million, the proportion of geriatricians will have dropped to a massive shortage of only one geriatrician per 5,549 American seniors. Why are […]