Try: We live in an electronic age with more and more older adults using their cell phones for texting and tweeting there seems to be a growing need for abbreviations that caregivers and care recipients can use with their cell phones examples of abbreviations that could be used in texting a tweeting are listed below the individuals who need to communicate with each other could also make up a customized list based on individual needs and circumstances once the list of abbreviations has been developed it could be shared with everyone to enhance the communication process atd at the doctor btw bring the wheelchair cbm covered by medicare fyi found your insulin ggpbl gotta go; pacemaker battery low gha got heartburn again hgbm had good bowel movement imho is my hearing-aid on lmdo laughing my dentures out omsg oh my sorry gas rofl cgu rolling on floor laughing can’t get up ttyl talk to you louder waitt who am i talking to wtfa wet the furniture again gglki gotta go; laxative kicking in information references

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Categories: Communication, Social, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Communication cell phone twitter text message communication

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Successful caregiving is built on the foundation of communication just speaking the words is only the first and least significant part of any communication process non-verbal messages sometimes have more bearing on what a speaker caregiver (cg) "says" and what a listener Care recipient (cr) "hears" than the actual verbal words that are used non-verbal messaging is both intentional and unintentional and can often be confusing when total communication is broken down into its components verbal communication – or the actual words spoken – account for only 10 of the overall message the non-verbal component accounts for over 50 of the total message the remaining 40 comes from the tone and inflection of the voice some of the things that non-verbal cues reveal is whether the speaker the caregiver or the listener the care recipient are nervous insecure bored thinking about something else happy craving attention a nuisance trying to deceive sincerely interested in what you are saying or straightforward non-verbalization can have the effect of being either an asset or a liability depending on how the messages are sent and received non-verbal cues can either enhance or detract from simple verbal communication learning how to "read" these non-verbal signals can make communication more effective meaningful and provide more substance to the messages non-verbal reactions to non-verbal messages convey to the speaker how the message is coming through if listeners have to choose whether to believe the verbal words or the non-verbal message usually the non-verbal message will win out because it is perceived to be a more honest signal non-verbal communication cues can play multiple roles repetition repeating the message the person is making verbally contradiction contradicting a message the person is trying to convey substitution providing a substitute for a verbal message by portraying a much more vivid message than words complementing adding to the actual verbal message such as patting someone on the back while giving praise accenting underlining a verbal message by giving a high impact non-verbal cue such as illustrating how to do a certain task by showing how the task is done at the same time that it is being explained when it comes to communication actions may speak louder than words non-verbal signals that are given both by the speaker and the listener can be either open or closed open signals such a direct eye contact leaning forward to engage the listener comfortable and relaxed posture open hands uncrossed legs and uncrossed arms make the message more accepted and believable; and as a result make the messenger more approachable closed signals such as crossed arms and legs lack of eye contact and a stiff body posture have the opposite effect these usually trigger a defense mechanism on the part of the listener facial expressions are also a good indicator of how messages may be transmitted and received wrinkled foreheads raised eyebrows and fingers tapping on tabletops convey concern and disinterest or agitation and frustration suggestions for making the "meaning" match the message when standing stand with the head slightly tilted hands clasped with a smile and a direct gaze if sitting lean forward with arms and legs uncrossed stay focused on non-verbal actions as you are speaking and don’t get distracted remember stress sometimes affects our non-verbal gestures unintentionally so try to de-stress before meetings or a presentation try to "mirror" your listener and read their signals if he or she is relaxed you could relax a little more if he or she is more serious both your verbal and non-verbal communication should reflect that you may need to make adjustments based on who you are communicating with and his or her individual circumstances interject a little silence into your message it provides a time for reflection and digestion of the message for both parties however don’t make it so long that it results in a lack of interest information references adapted from secrets of nonverbal communication forbes com 11 11 09; improving your nonverbal skills and reading body language helpguide org; non-verbal communication modes www2 andrews edu; nonverbal communication information conveyed through the use of body language l dunn department of psychology missouri western state university; non-verbal communication in business life a vintean

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social, Good Hearing, So-So Hearing, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Non-verbal communication body language mixed signals misunderstanding

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Care recipients cr that struggle with substance abuse sometimes can benefit from an intervention intervention isn’t confrontation ambush or trickery it isn’t deception it isn’t a free for all or a brawl family intervention is a combination of love and honesty that cracks through a cr’s denial while preserving her dignity intervention should not be done without proper education planning and preparation some caregivers begin by reading a book on addiction intervention others choose to use a professional from the start both will prepare a caregiver to carry out an effective intervention a good intervention starts with good information reading a book is a good first step for caregivers once everyone is properly informed individuals can decide what course of action is best for them however if the cr cr’s addiction has evolved into a life threatening crisis immediately talk to a professional interventionist or an addiction counselor specializing in older adult issues once educated either by reading a book or working with a professional methodically follow all directions this is not a time for short cuts interventions poorly planned are most likely to fail when an intervention is properly done most crs agree to go to treatment of those that refuse treatment most accept treatment at a later date remember intervention requires planning and training intervention isn’t easy so don’t be tempted to randomly try it information references www agingandaddiction net

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Categories: Communication, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Intervention substance abuse

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Sleep apnea is a night time breathing condition that affects certain care recipients cr as a caregiver it is important to know about the cr’s sleep problems and try to improve the cr’s care the following are common types of sleep apnea obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea it occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes during sleep causing a blockage of the airway this also causes extremely loud snoring in the cr central sleep apnea is a much less common type of sleep apnea that involves the central nervous system it occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing cr’s with central sleep apnea seldom snore this is a key way to distinguish the two also cr’s with central sleep apnea tend to awake more at night during difficulty breathing than obstructive sleep apnea complex sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea information references helpguide org

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal

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Keywords: Sleep problems snoring sleep apnea

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Late stage care is a difficult process for the Care recipient (cr) and the caregiver even when crs cannot speak or smile the need for companionship and interaction remains the cr can no longer recognize you but she may still draw comfort from your touch or the sound of your voice staying calm and attentive will create a soothing atmosphere that is comforting and reassuring to the cr contacts with pets or trained therapy animals can bring pleasure and ease transitions for even the most ill crs surrounding a cr with pictures and mementos reading aloud from treasured books and playing music are just a few examples of caregiver actions that promote dignity and comfort information references helpguide org

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal

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Keywords: Late stage care end of life

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: It can be overwhelming to be asked to make health care decisions for someone who is dying and no longer able to make his or her own decisions it is even more difficult if you do not have written or even verbal guidance how do you decide what type of care is right for someone even when you have written documents some decisions still might not be clear two approaches might be useful one is to put yourself in the place of the person who is dying and try to choose as he or she would that is called substituted judgment the other approach known as best interests is to decide what would be best for the dying person if you are making decisions for someone at the end of life and trying to use one of these approaches it may be helpful to think about the following has the dying person ever talked about what he or she would want at the end of life has he or she expressed an opinion about how someone else was being treated what were his or her values in life what gave meaning to life maybe it was being close to family, watching them grow and making memories together perhaps just being alive was the most important thing as a decision-maker without specific guidance from the dying person you need as much information as possible on which to base your actions you might ask the doctor what can we expect to happen in the next few hours days or weeks why is this new test being suggested will it change the current treatment plan will a new treatment help my relative get better how would the new treatment change his or her quality of life will it give more quality time with family and friends how long will this treatment take to make a difference if we choose to try this treatment can we stop it at any time for any reason what are the side effects of the approach you are suggesting if we try this new treatment and it doesn’t work what then if we don’t try this treatment what will happen is the improvement we saw today an overall positive sign or just something temporary information references "caring for a person with alzheimer’s disease your easy-to-use guide from the national institute on aging" by national institute on aging 2011 available at www nia nih gov

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Medical Physical

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Keywords: End of life care at home hospice death dying palliative care health care decisions

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Choosing among the different options for care at the end of life can be difficult here are some questions that might help you determine what is best for you and your family how long is this person expected to live what kind of end-of-life care is needed is the most likely caregiver able to give that kind of care where would the person who is dying want to have this end-of-life care, a facility or at home for example what is the best place to get the type of care he or she wants who will pay for this care can children grandchildren friends pet etc visit whenever they want is there a good chance that treatment in an intensive care unit will reverse the dying process or instead draw it out information references "caring for a person with alzheimer’s disease your easy-to-use guide from the national institute on aging" by national institute on aging 2011 available at www nia nih gov

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Maintenance, Medical Physical

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Keywords: End of life care at home hospice death dying palliative care

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Ask the doctor in charge since there is no cure what will happen next why are you suggesting this test or treatment will the treatment bring physical comfort will the treatment speed up or slow down the dying process what can we expect to happen in the coming days or weeks information references "caring for a person with alzheimer’s disease your easy-to-use guide from the national institute on aging" by national institute on aging 2011 available at www nia nih gov

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Care giver needs help not sure how to help supporting the care giver ways to help help helping out help with care giving death dying end of life care

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Conflict resolution is important for a caregiver caring for a Care recipient (cr) one important aspect of conflict resolution is emotional awareness emotional awareness is the key to understanding yourself and others a caregiver should have a good understanding of your own feelings before addressing the cr’s although knowing your own feelings may seem simple many people ignore or try to hold back feelings holding these feelings back can hinder your ability to resolve conflict emotional awareness and the ability to manage all of your feelings is the basis of a communication process that can resolve conflict with the cr emotional awareness helps someone to understand what is really troubling the cr understand yourself including what is really troubling you stay motivated until the conflict is resolved communicate clearly and effectively with the cr attract and influence disagreements with the cr information references helpguide org

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological

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Keywords: Conflict resolution emotion emotional awareness

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Caregivers that can manage their emotions have an increased ability to manage conflict with the Care recipient (cr) one important aspect of managing emotions is knowing and understanding your own emotions the following are questions to help you assess your emotions as a caregiver do your emotions change frequently or do they have an even flow are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach or chest do you experience discrete feelings and emotions such as anger sadness fear joy each of which is evident in subtle facial expressions can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention and that of others do you focus on your emotions do they factor into your decision making information references adapted from www helpguide org

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological

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Keywords: Emotion conflict resolution controlling emotions

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed