Having Hard Conversations While Caregiving

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Two women stand in the kitchen with cups of coffee, having hard conversations while caregiving.

Having hard conversations while caregiving is key to maintaining healthy family relationships.

Any time you dedicate so much time to caring for a senior member of the family, it is natural for other relationships to take a back seat. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you can only spread yourself so thin. This may result in additional stress, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings.

The answer to overcoming this obstacle is communication. This means having hard conversations while caregiving, which may be uncomfortable but allow the opportunity to air grievances, share feelings, and ultimately reinforce the love you have for each other.

Having Hard Conversations While Caregiving

First, understand that a planned, formal meeting is not necessary for a conversation to be effective. It can be a quick chat while waiting for the coffee to brew. It should not, however, be a triggered response to a stress-inducing incident. Plan to talk about a concern before the stress has an opportunity to build up to an explosive level (or when you’ve had the opportunity to settle down).

Here is an example scenario and how to include a courageous conversation. Your teenage daughter is feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable bringing friends over because of the dementia-related behaviors of your elderly parent. Begin with this brief assessment to gauge the answers for yourself along with your teen:

  • What do we need from each other?
  • What goals do we wish to accomplish from this conversation?
  • What do we have to give and receive?
  • What do we want each other to know?
  • What exactly are each of us feeling and thinking?

Include in your assessment the feelings of the individual in your care as well. In particular, prior to the cognitive decline, determine what your mom would want for you personally as well as your daughter.

With this framework in mind, allow yourself to be honest, authentic, and vulnerable. Listen to each other’s viewpoint respectfully, offer empathy and understanding, and collaborate to create a viable solution.

Is It Better Left Unsaid?

You might feel as though it’s simpler to maintain status quo than to risk upsetting a family member by initiating a challenging conversation. And certainly, situations may arise that are best resolved through another means, like speaking with a professional therapist to unravel your feelings and thoughts before approaching someone else with them. As a general rule of thumb, however, nothing beats open, honest communication to allow you and those you care about to better understand one another.

Let a Responsive Home Care caregiver help you carve out time for the conversations you need with other members of the family by providing skilled, professional in-home care for the person you love. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for more information regarding our home care in Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding areas.

How Caregivers Can Prioritize Privacy

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A woman who knows how caregivers can prioritize privacy smiles as she reads a book and holds a cup of coffee in a sunny room.

It’s vitally important to know how caregivers can prioritize privacy to achieve a healthy life balance.

Reflect back to your teenage years. Remember how important it was to find a safe place to be on your own, to shut out the world, turn the music up, and write your most secret thoughts in your diary?

The desire for privacy that began then can become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. Yet it is still extremely important to know how caregivers can prioritize privacy, both physically and mentally, to take time for self-care.

How Can a Caregiver Prioritize Privacy?

Frankly, it isn’t always easy. You might feel as though you need to always have at least one ear and eye open to the needs of the person in your care. There are several steps you can take to help, however. Try:

  • Designating a spot of privacy for both yourself and the older adult. After all, they need privacy as much as you do. Agree that whenever either of you needs some alone time, you can retreat to your chosen spot and only interrupt one another in case of an urgent situation.
  • Determining house rules. In shared living spaces, put together some basic rules of etiquette that are fair for everyone. For example, take turns choosing TV shows to watch, so one person isn’t monopolizing the remote. Compromises similar to this can make together time less stressful for everyone.
  • Considering emotional privacy. Make sure to take frequent breaks from care that allow you time to disconnect completely from your care role. Go on trips, attend events and activities with other friends and family members, take a book to the park for a stress-free afternoon. Responsive Home Care’s care experts are always on hand to fill your caregiving shoes when you take some time for self-care.

Special Considerations for Dementia

If the person in your care is struggling with the challenges of dementia, finding privacy becomes more challenging – and much more vital to obtain. The person may need 24/7 oversight to ensure safety, but this doesn’t mean that you should (or can) provide that level of care yourself.

We frequently hear from primary family caregivers that there is not anyone in their circle of close friends and family who knows the senior or the requirements of dementia care well enough to assist. This is when our specially trained and experienced dementia caregivers are an invaluable part of your care team. We can partner with you to ensure the seamless, reliable, skilled care a senior with dementia needs, while you take the regular breaks from care you need.

Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for further tips on how caregivers can prioritize privacy and find help in acquiring a healthier life balance. Our personalized home care services are offered in Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and the surrounding areas.

Understanding the Red Flags of Caregiver PTSD

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A female family caregiver sits on couch with knees pulled up and head buried in her arms on top of her knees.

What are the red flags of caregiver PTSD and how can family caregivers get help?

If you think PTSD only happens to individuals who have experienced life-threatening danger, think again. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can occur after any traumatic event or experience. It may surprise you to discover that providing care for a loved one is one of the main causes of PTSD. Nevertheless, the condition frequently goes undetected, and thus untreated. This is because the individual receiving care is normally the primary focus of both healthcare providers and the family at large.

As a family caregiver, it is important to know the red flags of caregiver PTSD – which are noticeably different from other types of PTSD – and to seek help if you are experiencing them. These include:

  • Apathy: You may feel empty, numb, and emotionally detached from loved ones. This can take place in conjunction with compassion fatigue.
  • Flashbacks: Reliving a distressing experience can bring about the same degree of emotion as when the event occurred.
  • Pain: Both physical and emotional pain can be overwhelming and unrelenting. This may include stomach upset and headaches along with feelings of anguish and hopelessness.
  • Anxiety: Heightened anxiety about your family member’s health and wellbeing may be particularly noticeable at night, and can lead to night terrors.

Why Are Caregivers at Risk for PTSD?

There are many factors that come into play to produce the perfect storm for caregiver PTSD, including:

  • The overwhelming responsibilities involved with caregiving: from day-to-day care tasks to managing life-changing medical and financial decisions on a loved one’s behalf
  • Hospitalizations and other emergency situations that arise
  • Challenging family dynamics and complex emotions such as guilt, remorse, hopelessness, and helplessness
  • Grief over a range of losses: watching a loved one’s health diminish, experiencing a relationship shift from simply being a family member to being in a caregiver role, being unable to live life as it was in the past, and more

What Should You Do if You Detect the Red Flags of Caregiver PTSD?

The initial step is to consult with your primary care physician to describe the symptoms you are encountering. You’ll want to rule out any other medical conditions, especially if you’re experiencing any physical pain.

It is additionally important to locate a therapist who is specially trained in treating people with PTSD. There are excellent treatment options, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy, in addition to individual, family, or group counseling.

Taking regular breaks from your caregiving role is also extremely important. Let friends and family members know that you’re struggling and that you could use further support. Caregiving should not be a one-person responsibility. Allowing others to step up and help benefits the person you are providing care for as well, providing them with additional opportunities for social connections.

How Does Home Care Help?

Responsive Home Care’s in-home respite care services allow you to take the time away you’ll need for self-care while knowing a loved one is receiving excellent care. Taking care of yourself is key to providing the best care for your family member. Contact us online or call us at (954) 486-6440 to learn more. Responsive Home Care serves seniors in Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Plantation, Hollywood, Lighthouse Point, and throughout the surrounding areas.

Staying Present as a Caregiver: How to Avoid Caregiver Boredom

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bored caregiver

Learn how to stay present as a caregiver and avoid caregiver boredom.

No caregiver is proud of it, but it’s also difficult for any caregiver to avoid. Becoming tired of your role as family caregiver is a common reaction to spending so much time together, performing the exact same tasks, engaging in exactly the same activities, and running out of intriguing conversation topics. Your struggle in staying present as a caregiver is not in any way related to your feelings for the individual in your care. In fact, they might be feeling just as bored with a stagnant routine.

How can you breathe new life into your caregiving relationship? If you’ve been struggling with staying present as a caregiver, our care team has some ideas you can implement to help.

Break Out of the Norm. Take a mental walk through the routines you’ve established, and think about ways to implement changes. Have you been preparing the same bowl of cereal every morning? Search online for cookbook recipes and try a new one with the person you care for once a week. Rather than those morning talk or game shows, switch off the TV and go for a walk together. Drive a different route to the doctor’s office or beauty shop to see some new sights.

Celebrate! You don’t need an official reason to get the party started! There are so many unique and lesser-known holidays to pick from, for example, National Polar Bear Day, Toast Day, Tell a Fairy Tale Day, and Comfy Day – and those are just a handful of reasons to celebrate in the last week of February! Or why not designate your very own? All it requires is a little creative thinking as you look around your environment, select something you’re thankful for, and think about ways to make it the star of the day.

Tap Into Your Imagination. Do you remember how vibrant your imagination was as a child? It can be just as fun as an adult! As you are waiting at the doctor’s office, take a look at the people around you, and try to picture an extraordinary story of their lives. Encourage the aging loved one to do the same, and share your stories on the ride home. Practicing mindfulness is another way to fully engage in the moment as opposed to dully observing from the sidelines. Use all five senses to experience your surroundings in a new and intriguing way.

Plan Something Fun. Come up with fun activities and new experiences you can plan and do with the aging loved one. These can be as simple as trying a brand new restaurant in town or traveling to a destination they have always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity. If traveling with the older adult seems too daunting, consider bringing along a professional caregiver from Responsive Home Care! We are always available to help make dreams come true for the older adults we serve.

Let Responsive Home Care help you with staying present as a caregiver by providing breaks from care that give both of you the opportunity for experiences outside of each other’s company, allowing for interesting conversations to have when you’re together again. Contact us online or at (954) 486-6440 to learn more about our home health care in Plantation and the nearby areas!

Tips for Increasing Caregiving Patience: It Takes Practice!

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patient-caregiver

Taking care of an aging adult can be tiresome, but these tips can help you with increasing caregiving patience.

Does waiting in line at the grocery store make you want to pull your hair out? Do you get antsy when the doctor is running behind for your appointment? Some people just appear to project a natural sense of patience, no matter what the circumstances. Wouldn’t you like to know their secret, particularly when it comes increasing caregiver patience in caring for a loved one?

Thankfully, it is possible to increase your level of patience in much the same manner in which you increase your endurance in exercising – through practice. Try these recommendations to help with increasing caregiver patience:

How Do I Become More Patient?

  • It’s OK to not fix the problem immediately. Allow something that is broken to remain broken for some time as opposed to pressuring yourself to quickly deal with it.
  • Take a beat, and truly listen when others are speaking. It’s easy to begin formulating your response before the person has finished, but strive to place all your concentration instead on everything they are saying.
  • Attempt to channel your inner child. Let yourself laugh more, be silly, and remind yourself not to permit the small things that irritate you to become big things. A little lightening up and letting go can go a considerable way towards getting rid of stress.
  • Focus on being in the moment. When your thoughts begin to wander, recognize the distraction, but gently guide your thinking back to your breathing.
  • Deliberately put yourself in circumstances that necessitate patience. Let someone go ahead of you next time you’re standing in line. Make yourself wait a few moments (or more!) prior to checking your phone. Initiate a conversation with an individual who tests your patience.
  • Accept your present circumstances. Perhaps the person you’re caring for is taking a lot longer to get dressed than you’d like. Remind yourself that your job is to provide care but to also allow the person to stay as independent as possible, and often that will call for allowing some additional time and a good measure of patience.

When time is of the essence, however, it becomes all the harder to stay patient. Let a caregiver from Responsive Home Care help. We are available to provide a full range of home care in Lighthouse Point and the nearby areas that will help you free up the time you need. Reach out to us at (954) 486-6440 to find out more information and to ask about a free in-home consultation.

How Journaling Can Be a Helpful Family Caregiving Tool

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Family caregiver writing in her journal

Journaling can be a helpful family caregiving tool when caring for a loved one.

A lot of us are jotting down notes all of the time: shopping lists, to-do reminders, appointments, meetings, events…the list goes on and on. If you’re a family caregiver, you have additional reasons for writing, while you manage another person’s life in addition to your own.Journaling can be a helpful family caregiving tool to keep information together in one single location. Yet we advise taking it one step further by making use of two journals for two specific purposes that are every bit as important to your role as caregiver.

The Organization Journal

This type of journal is an ideal tool for keeping everything pertaining to a senior loved one’s health and wellbeing together. Include:

  • Any condition changes
  • Information regarding any troubling symptoms and what might be influencing them (for example, Mom has been feeling fatigued the past few days; it seems worse on the days that she skips breakfast)
  • A list of any questions you want to remember to ask the physician (along with their recommendations and answers)
  • Prescriptions being taken and any possible side effects the senior may be experiencing
  • Contact info for the pharmacy, health care professionals, etc.

Bring the journal with you to each doctor’s appointment so that you will have the important information you will need at your fingertips.

A Journal for Venting

Taking care of your mental health is vital to providing the best care for someone you love. A private journal just for venting your thoughts and feelings can be very helpful, as research indicates that documenting our experiences minimizes our risk for depression. This journal is exclusively for your eyes only. There’s no right or wrong approach to what or how you write, however, these suggestions can help:

  • Do not censor your thoughts or concern yourself with proper grammar – just let your thoughts flow.
  • Refrain from any self-judgment; the objective is just to empty the contents of your mind.
  • Include drawings or doodles if you’d like.
  • Write as frequently as you want, but only examine what you’ve written after a period of time has passed, allowing you the chance to gain some emotional distance from your thoughts.
  • Unsure where to begin? These prompts might help.

There are several different techniques to keeping journals; choose what works best for you!

  • Traditional pen-and-paper notes
  • Electronic documents
  • Specialized caregiving apps, for example:
    • Balance – Specifically for Alzheimer’s caregivers, find prompts to write down common symptoms with simple yes/no answers to generate a shareable log.
    • CareZone – This free app is an easy medication management tool, but also includes a journaling section.

Responsive Home Care’s compassionate caregivers are available to offer regular respite care services to allow you as much time as you need to spend in journal writing and any other activities you love that help restore and refresh you. Call us at (954) 486-6440 to learn more about our home care health aides in Ft Lauderdale, FL and the surrounding area.

How to Handle the Unexpected Emotions of Caregiver Anger and Resentment

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ver Anger and ResentmentIf you were to list the top five emotions you experience in meeting the caregiving needs of your elderly parents, what would they be? Maybe you’d first think of emotions like love, compassion, and in some cases, even frustration or stress. Would anger make the list? In many cases, though family care providers might not wish to admit it, caregiver anger and resentment are very real.

The reality is that a large number of adult children grapple with the reality that their parents are getting older. Growing up, our parents might have exuded health, strength, and control, giving us an underlying impression that they would always be there for us. Watching a decline in their health upends that belief, that could leave us feeling let down, disillusioned, fearful, anxious, and yes – angry.

As the tide shifts and aging parents become the ones needing care, family dynamics may become complicated. And the negative stereotype within our culture towards aging informs us that growing older is something we must resist or deny – something that may have a direct impact on how both aging adults and their adult children handle age-related decline.

Add to that the increased stress experienced by individuals who are part of the sandwich generation – caring for children at home and aging parents at the same time. Approximately one out of three adults with elderly parents believe their parents require some degree of care as well as emotional support.

So, how might you shift to a more positive mindset? The most crucial step is coming to a place of acceptance. Laura Cartensen, Stanford University psychology professor and director of its Center on Longevity, explains, “The issue is less about avoiding the inevitable and more about living satisfying lives with limitations. Accepting aging and mortality can be liberating.”

Honest, open communication is also essential. Family caregivers and their parents should share their feelings in regards to what is working well in the relationship, and what needs to be improved. Oftentimes, just understanding the other person’s perspective makes a huge difference. For instance, a senior parent may voice annoyance with being reminded to put on his/her glasses. An appropriate response may be to clarify the reason for the reminders – because of a fear that the parent may fall, for example. A compromise can then be reached.

Concentrating on the quality time your caregiving role affords you with your aging parents, while handling your parents’ needs with your own, is key. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by selecting a trusted care partner to assist. Call Responsive Home Care at (954) 486-6440 for more information about our services.

How to Address One of the Leading Caregiver Struggles: Caregiver Dread

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One of the most common caregiver struggles is caregiver dread.

What are your first thoughts as soon as you wake up in the morning? Are you looking forward to what your day holds, or would you prefer to crawl back under the covers and remain there? If you are feeling more dread than delight as you think through your caregiving tasks for the day, you are not the only one. In fact, caregiver dread is one of the most common caregiver struggles we help families with each and every day.

Distinctly different from anxiety, depression, and even burnout, caregiver dread is a heavy, exhausted feeling of duty. It stems from feelings of overcommitment as well as the need to escape from obligations. While feasible to muscle through and carry out needed tasks in spite of these feelings, there are methods to conquer them instead – and restore the joy that comes from making life better for someone you love. To begin with, try these techniques:

  1. Release the guilt. Meeting the care needs of a person can feel unimpactful, mundane, and just downright difficult. It requires selflessness, which can feel burdening. Yet dreading the daily tasks you’re obligated to do in no way is a reflection of how you feel towards your loved one. Acknowledge to yourself that your role is not easy, and it is okay to wish you could be doing something else.
  2. Deliberately search for joy. The little pleasures each day holds may be diminished by the difficulties. Make the effort every day to find five small things which make you smile. Keep a journal of each day’s finds and refer back to it at the conclusion of every week. Engage all of your senses as you look for the day’s joys: the smell of freshly brewing coffee; the beauty of the sunrise; the sound of your cat purring; the invigorating feeling of a hot shower.
  3. Set boundaries. Schedule time daily to spend on things that you enjoy apart from the senior loved one in your care. Plan and look forward to this time when your caregiving responsibilities begin to weigh you down. An established and trusted care partner is vital to ensure that nothing impedes with the important time of looking after yourself.

Remind yourself that the work you are doing in caring for your senior loved one is extremely important. Yet also keep in mind that no one can do it all, and in order to provide the very best care for the senior and for yourself, frequent breaks from care tasks are essential.

Connect with our experts in elder care in Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas at (954) 486-6440 to arrange for regular respite care services and release the stress of caregiving dread. We’re here for as much or as little assistance as you need to help you enjoy quality time together with a family member and also to rediscover joy in your own life as well.

 

Taking Care of Elderly Parents After the Pandemic: The Shift We Can Expect

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Employers may now have a different perspective on those taking care of elderly parents post-pandemic.

If there is a single positive after-effect regarding the pandemic, it is the appreciation generated for the plight of family caregivers. Managing work and home life is without question a tremendous challenge for those taking care of elderly parents. As Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO of Wellthy, explains, “Caregiving went from a silent struggle to being in the spotlight overnight.”

Businesses were suddenly thrown into the fire of navigating a world of balancing the safety of staff along with the need to uphold productivity. Here is what we discovered – and what we can expect in the future:

    • More telecommuting. Individuals who began working from home in the last year have, in some cases, demonstrated their ability to be much more productive. Because of this, it is predicted that nearly 25 – 30% of the workforce within the United States will continue telecommuting at least several days a week this year.
    • Less stress. Doing away with the daily commute opens up extra time for self-care for family caregivers, while enhancing peace of mind. This is particularly true for those who relied on public transportation and were wary of compromised health safety. To further boost mental health, many employers are offering subscriptions to mindfulness and meditation apps.
    • A corporate culture of caring. Working from home has opened up the personal elements of our lives to employers. Zoom meetings share our living spaces with each other, including the appearance of pets, children, and other household members. As a result, the workplace has started to become more humanized, resulting in a more empathetic working environment.
    • Emphasis on mental wellness. Along those lines, there is now greater awareness of the significance of attending to our mental health. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll shared that nearly 45% of adults experienced negative mental health affects as a result of the pandemic – and an even more substantial percentage in those who function as family caregivers for older family members. Many employers have started implementing ways to take care of the mental health of their employees, such as offering virtual adventures and trips to give the chance to relax and escape.

Let Responsive Home Care, who offers the best respite care in Weston, FL and the surrounding areas, further help nurture a better work-life balance with our dependable respite care services. Regular, ongoing respite care is key to the general wellness of family caregivers. Our skilled and compassionate home care team is on hand to help with anything from only a few hours every week up to and including 24/7 care. Call us at (954) 486-6440 to request a no cost in-home assessment to find out more.

 

What to Do When Relatives Avoid Helping with Senior Care

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What to Do When Relatives Avoid Helping with Senior Care

Tips for family caregivers providing senior care.

If you find yourself managing all of the in-home care for an aging parent while your siblings distance themselves from helping, you’re far from alone. In fact, half of all family caregivers are taking care of an aging loved one solo, according to a recent report from AARP.

Why is this scenario so common – and what can you do to protect your own health, which can easily be affected by providing senior care on your own? Our Fort Lauderdale, FL area in-home care experts have the answers.

1. Family members don’t realize there’s a need for help. It could very well be that from the outside looking in, you have everything covered and running smoothly, and aren’t in need of their support.

What to do: Have an honest, open conversation, explaining the stress you’re under. Invite your siblings or other family members to visit during a time of higher intensity care needs, such as when you’re preparing dinner and then helping the senior get ready for bed, and enlist their help so they can see firsthand how much work is involved.

2. They don’t know what to do to help. While it may seem intuitive to simply jump in and meet a senior’s needs to you, that’s not the case for everyone.

What to do: Make a list of specific tasks that you could use help with, along with the days and times that assistance is needed, and ask for volunteers.

3.  They’re afraid or uncomfortable. For someone who’s never cared for an older adult, it can be truly daunting.

What to do: Invite them to “shadow” you for a day to help gain confidence in the particular tasks that they’re uncomfortable with. A little hands-on training can make all the difference.

At Responsive Home Care, our caregivers are always at the ready to work with you to meet the care needs of your loved one, with professionalism, dedication, and compassion, so you’re never alone. Call us at (954) 486-6440 and let us help! We can provide a skilled, dependable, and friendly home health aide in Fort Lauderdale, FL and throughout the Broward County area. See our service area page for more details.

 

How to Set Yourself Free from Caregiver Guilt

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Caregivers can let go of caregiver guilt with these tips.

Family care providers give a great deal of themselves to take care of their senior loved ones, often sacrificing their own individual needs and desires during the process. It seems normal to assume then that caregivers would feel good about themselves, with high self-esteem and sense of purpose.

However, the exact opposite is usually true, with many family caregivers dealing with feelings of caregiver guilt, wishing they had more patience, a remedy for all of their loved ones’ dilemmas, or the power to do everything by themselves without the need for help. They may have set unattainable and unrealistic guidelines, that could result in:

  • Bitterness
  • Feeling trapped
  • Never feeling good enough
  • Wanting to get away
  • Loss of pleasure in life
  • Elevated stress
  • Missing out on high quality time with loved ones
  • And more

If you are dealing with feelings of family caregiver guilt, taking these steps can be extremely freeing:

  1. Admit your feelings of guilt and also the particular cause of it; as an example, “I feel guilty because I became impatient with Dad’s repetitive questions.”
  2. Maintain a realistic perspective, understanding that all family caregivers are encountering challenges. We are all human.
  3. Switch your internal “should have” dialogues to a more positive slant: “It is challenging to answer the same questions repeatedly, and I’m doing the best that I can.”
  4. Turn your focus to a positive accomplishment. Remind yourself of the joke you told that made Dad chuckle this morning, or how much he enjoyed the meal you prepared.
  5. Be sure to put aside enough time for comforting, pleasurable and gratifying activities: engaging in favorite hobbies and pastimes, journaling, spending time with friends, family and pets, etc.
  6. Adhere to a healthier lifestyle that includes healthy eating, aiming for 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night, exercising, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.
  7. Find a support partner. To be the best care provider you can be calls for routine, regular breaks from caregiving to take care of yourself.

Contact Responsive Home Care, the top-rated provider of home health care in Plantation and surrounding areas, at 954-486-6440 for dependable respite care which enables family caregivers time to destress and unwind, an essential component to effective elder care. We’re available in accordance with your desired schedule and routine, with as much or as little ongoing support as needed, up through 24/7 care. Keep in mind that taking the best care of yourself allows you to provide the best care for the older adult you love, and we are always here to help!

Tips to Manage Family Caregiver Stress

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man relaxing listing to headphones

It can be stressful to serve as a family caregiver, so learning how to manage emotions is important.

Stress is bound to happen, and actually, not always a bad thing. After all, as the saying goes, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” However, especially for family caregivers, the level of stress can rapidly intensify and be frustrating, and when not managed effectively, lead to big health concerns.

Try these suggestions to lower family caregiver stress and obtain a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle – both for yourself and those you love:

  • Alter your self-talk. Through the course of your day, you will probably find yourself entertaining thoughts such as, “I cannot accomplish this!” or “Everything is going wrong!” Stop when negative thinking starts to intrude, and say to yourself instead, “I’m able to take care of this, one step at a time,” or “Help is available whenever I require it.”
  • Take a break. Deescalate stress through any or all of the following strategies:
    • Breathe deeply (breathe in to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; exhale to a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; repeat as needed)
    • Take a walk or take part in some other regular exercise
    • Pray or meditate
    • Play favorite music
    • Write in a journal
    • Contact a good friend
  • Try a stress-busting activity. There are a variety of pleasing activities that will divert your focus away from what was leading to stress and onto things more positive, such as creating art, reading, enjoying pets or children, doing work in the yard or on a DIY project – the possibilities are endless, and even as little as 10 or 15 minutes invested in the activity will help.

There are even apps especially developed with family caregivers in mind to help minimize stress and restore calm. Find five which can be particularly effective here from DailyCaring.

Caregiver stress is very common for individuals who feel as though they have no support system, and have to handle everything independently. Fortunately, we have an answer! Call Responsive Home Care for an in-home consultation to learn more about how we can share in your caregiving duties, enabling you to gain important time away to destress, with our services that include:

  • Planning and cooking wholesome meals
  • Assistance with personal care and hygiene
  • Taking care of housekeeping chores and laundry
  • Accompaniment to medical appointments and interesting outings
  • Companionship to brighten each day with conversations, games, puzzles, hobbies, etc.
  • Medication reminders
  • And so much more

Call us at 954-486-6440 for home care assistance in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. Learn how a partner in care can make a world of difference in eliminating stress and restoring a healthy life balance for family care providers.