One never knows when he or she will be a caregiver. I lived in New Jersey for 17 years with my ex-partner. In the 12th year, I got a hemorrhagic stroke and at first, he was my caregiver. Role reversal indeed. But soon it overwhelmed him, not to mention the dangerous risks that I took, falling many times because I craved to be independent. In retrospect, I was selfish and stayed longer than I should have. The relationship was doomed and I understood why. I believe he did, too. And soon, I had to seek other caregivers, for both of our mental states of mind.
I started this blog in 2010 to mentor stroke survivors and, truth be told, to mentor myself, in a cathartic way. By writing about brain trauma, I became a stronger person, and I have my mother and father to thank for that.
Anyway, one day, in 2017, I received this email from Sally:
"My name is Sally and I am writing because as a former Manager of a care home, I learned how demanding and complex caregiving can be. While it can also be rewarding in itself, caregivers need all the help and support they can get.
"Now I work as the Content Manager for a small senior care site and I felt it was important we create a full resource guide for caregivers. It covers 30 essential sources of information and support for all kinds of caregivers."
She went on to say:
"Recently, I came across
stroketales.blogspot.com and having read
http://stroketales.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-caregivers-are-venting-and-stroke.html, I feel this is a subject you would like to cover."
Indeed I do, Sally. This advice comes from Sally who didn't have a stroke, but she nails it.
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Recovering From Stroke: How Caregivers Can Help
Stroke is by far one of the most devastating and sudden experiences that anyone can endure. Those who experience minor strokes have the challenge of rehabilitation, and some patients who go through major episodes of the medical condition face the horrific possibility of permanently losing vital cognitive and physical abilities. Regardless of the state a patient is in after suffering a stroke, recovery is possible with the help of patient caregivers. Here are three key ways for in-home nursing assistants to help their patients, and themselves, get through the stroke recovery process.
1. Stay Alert
It is probable that you've been given very specific instructions concerning medication. It is essential that they follow all stipulations outlined in their prescriptions to ensure a healthy recovery. Omitting even one regulation or falling behind schedule when administering medication can be detrimental to recuperating and may even be life-threatening.
Another area that requires the devout attention of the caregiver is in physical exercise and general mobility. It is possible and even recommended that stroke patients exercise on a daily basis so as to encourage proper recovery. Try and engage in light physical activity, but also be attentive to falls and injuries. It is quite common for those recovering from stroke to lose their balance while walking. You should not write off such incidents as part of the process, though, as every fall presents the possibility of a serious injury.
2. Encourage Good Nutrition
A person who has experienced a stroke is vulnerable to another attack. You should, therefore, eat
meals filled with vitamins and other nutrients during breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is also important that you encourage those recovering from stroke to eat fruits and vegetables more often than they consume foods with empty calories. Chips, milk chocolate, and soft drinks are enemies to stroke recovery.
3. Engage in Self-Care
Sometimes caregivers are so focused on their patients recovering from life-altering experiences such as stroke that they forget to take care of themselves. Such behavior can be detrimental to both the giver and receiver since stroke patients heavily rely on their nursing assistants for support during recovery.
Caregivers can improve and maintain health by:
Keeping up with doctor’s visits
Eating a wide variety of nutritious foods
Taking time away from the job or even seeking professional help if the stress becomes too great
If you are a caregiver, then it is important to do everything within your power to avoid burnout. Remember that your stroke patients need you in good health and are excited about the road that lies ahead of them for rapid recovery.
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Sally's advice, though, is not only for caregivers. It also is for the patients they care for who should demand, to the best of their ability, that their caregivers stay on track.
The 30 essential sources to which Sally alludes were written by Kristen Hicks, exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com. Click on the link to learn more about it
- https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/administration-on-aging
The Administration on Aging is a government organization specifically
devoted to providing programs and services to help aging seniors
continue living independently. While the organization is primarily
focused on the well being of seniors, it includes an Office of Supporter
and Caregiver Services that helps provide funding to families for
resources to help with caregiving.
- Family Caregiver Alliance
The Family Caregiver Alliance is a nonprofit organization that
provides services and education programs, as well as doing advocacy work
to help encourage government policy that’s helpful to caregivers.
- Caregiver Action Network
The Caregiver Action Network provides educational resources for
caregivers and a forum to connect family caregivers with others dealing
with similar issues.
- Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving provides support
programs and training resources for caregivers, as well as advocacy to
encourage greater institutional help for caregivers.
- National Respite Network
Sometimes caregivers just need a break. The National Respite Network
helps caregivers find respite services that temporarily take over some
of the caregiving tasks so family caregivers can take a well-needed
break.
6.
Become A Caregiver
If you are looking to become a caregiver anywhere in the United
States, look no further than caregivers.com. They help get families and
caregivers in touch quickly and easily and will ensure the family gets
the best caregiver they can while matching the caregiver’s skill set to
the right family.
7. Benefits Checkup
Navigating the system of benefits available to seniors is tough, and
many seniors leave potential aid or money on the table because they
don’t know it’s out there for them. The Benefits Checkup site makes it
easier to quickly see what benefits are available in your area that you
or your loved one are likely to qualify for.
8. Family Care Navigator
The support resources available to caregivers vary based on your
geographic location. The Family Care Navigator helps you hone in on what
programs and organizations are specifically available to you in your
state.
9. National Volunteer Caregiving Network
The National Volunteer Caregiving Network helps connect volunteers
that want to help others in their communities with the seniors or people
with disabilities that need that help. Volunteers help with things like
transportation, errands, and home repairs.
10. Lotsa Helping Hands
Lotsa Helping Hands is another website that helps connect volunteers
with caregivers in their area that need some extra help. Caregivers can
put the help they need on the website’s calendar and available
volunteers step in to provide help with tasks like meal delivery or
rides to appointments.
11. Eldercare Locator
The Eldercare Locator is a resource provided by the Administration on
Aging to help seniors and caregivers find trusted professionals to help
with the various services seniors commonly need, like
home modifications and legal assistance.
12. Well Spouse Association
Many senior caregivers are spouses taking care of their partner. The
Well Spouse Association helps senior caregivers in this position tap
into a larger community of other caregivers taking care of a spouse.
13. Find Support Groups
Most communities have a number of support groups that caregivers can
attend to find others struggling with similar challenges. Often, these
support groups are specific to the particular issue your loved one is
dealing with, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s support groups. These groups
can be an invaluable resource for finding other people who understand
what you’re going through and having a healthy outlet for your feelings.
14. Senior Day Care
Adult day care lets you drop off your senior loved one for the day
while you work or run errands and trust that they’ll be in the care of
trained staff. Senior day care also gives seniors a chance to socialize
and stay busy in a new environment for the day, which many
seniors start to need more as they ag
e.
15. In-home Care
In-home care professionals come to your home for a set number of
hours to help out with the care your loved one needs. You can hire
in-home care workers to provide basic around-the-house help, or home
health care workers to provide health care to your loved one.
16. Assisted Living
While many families hesitate to take the step of moving a senior
loved one to assisted living, sometimes it really is the best choice for
everyone. Assisted living facilities have staff available all hours of
day to help with the ADLs seniors often need assistance with.
17. Respite Care
If you don’t want to take a step that feels as permanent as assisted
living, but you know you need a break, respite care can take the
caregiving duties off your hands for a temporary period.
18. Meals on Wheels
A big part of taking care of someone is making sure that they get
enough meals each day to stay healthy. For overwhelmed caregivers,
that’s not a small task. Meals on Wheels can help fill in with that part
of your job in order to take one more thing off your plate
.
19. Independent Transportation Network
Once your loved one can no longer safely drive, getting them out to
appointments and social events becomes another difficulty to manage. ITN
helps seniors access affordable transportation options that provide the
level of help seniors often need.
20. LongTermCare.gov
LongTermCare.gov is a government website full of educational
resources to help people plan for long-term care and understand the
options and benefits available to them.
21. Guide to Veteran’s Long-Term Care
Veterans have even more potential benefits to tap into than most
other seniors. If your loved one is a veteran or the spouse of one, this
website can help you understand the benefits available to them.
22. National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Caregiving Resources
A growing number of people provide care for Alzheimer’s patients, who
require a distinct set of skills and knowledge to properly care for.
The NIH provides educational materials to help caregivers learn what to
do and expect.
23. Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Center
The Alzheimer’s Association is one of the leading authorities on the
disease. Their website provides a wealth of information on caring for
Alzheimer’s patients based on up-to-date research on the subject.
24. American Heart Association’s Resources for Caregivers
Heart disease is another common illness seniors face. The American
Heart Association provides some educational tips for caregivers helping a
loved one with heart disease.
25. Cancer Caregivers Resources
The American Cancer Society likewise provides resources to loved ones
of cancer patients to help provide the main information they need to
take care of someone suffering from cancer.
26. National Parkinson Foundation Caregiver’s Resources
The National Parkinson Foundation provides a number of resources to
caregivers of seniors who have Parkinson’s. They also offer a helpline
for caregivers that have questions.
27. Caregiver’s Home Companion
The Caregiver’s Home Companion is a website that includes forums to
connect caregivers to one another, and resources that cover many
different aspects of caregiving, from the spiritual to the practical
.
28. Next Step in Care
Next Step in Care provides guides for caregivers that help them
figure out how to work with health care providers to figure out the next
step for their loved one when facing complicated decisions and
transition periods.
29. AARP’s Caregiver Resources
In addition to the many resources they provide for seniors, AARP also
provides planning guides and other educational resources for the
caregivers that help care for seniors.
30. Video Caregiving
For those that prefer to learn by video rather than reading, Video
Caregiving provides a number of films to help caregivers learn the
skills they need.
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And one more thing before I go: not everyone is suited for caregiving. It shouldn't be a source of shame. Wrong job is what it is. Caregiving takes patience, understanding, and compassion for angry, frustrated, and low self-esteem patients who are your clients. If you don't have all three, and it's a family member, find an option in the list. If not, quit. Just because you want to have something to do and make money is not a reason for caregiving. Heed my words. They are spot on.
