Try: Suicide is one of the leading causes of mortality in the united states individuals commit suicide for different reasons and there are a number of factors that can lead to suicidal thoughts dealing with a Care recipient (cr) with suicidal tendencies can be very difficult and challenging if the problem is detected early enough the caregiver may be able deal with it more effectively and possibly prevent suicide caregivers should be aware of the following red flags warning signs and changes in behaviors and attitude that may indicate that the cr is having suicidal thoughts care recipient becomes withdrawn and lonely this is one of the most obvious changes that you can observe the cr who is usually outgoing and loves the company of others now prefers to be alone and quiet the cr refuses to go out and enjoy his or her usual activities and company care recipient becomes irritable when there is no reason to if the cr is not usually like this this is a cause for concern care recipient starts talking about unusual things related to death and dying if the cr starts talking to you about death and dying all of a sudden it may be sign that he or she is thinking about committing suicide for example the cr also may start talking about the worthlessness of being alive and how good it is to just succumb to death do not take this behavior for granted you just might be the one who can make a positive difference and change the cr cr’s thought patterns and behavior care recipient suddenly begins writing in a journal or diary if the cr does not normally write his or her feelings in a journal or diary this may be used to tell loved ones what the cr wants them to know before committing suicide Care recipient (cr)ies all the time when there is no reason to this may be the cr cr’s emotional response to the situation that is causing the suicidal thoughts general suggestions for dealing with a care recipient who is having suicidal thoughts keep an open heart and mind when dealing with the cr cr’s condition be very careful in whatever you say and do around the cr because every little thing could result in the cr becoming suicidal assure the cr that you will be with him or her every step of the way and to provide help and support assure the cr that this is a confidential matter that you will not share with others unless you have permission to do so try to have an honest and open conversation with the cr tell the cr that life is worth living and there is hope for the future tell the cr how fortunate he or she is to be alive discuss the cr cr’s spiritual beliefs as they relate to the situation this is a very sensitive matter so use your discretion to determine if this would be appropriate and beneficial for example you could say that no one has the right to take his or her own life and that it is in god god’s hands information references adapted from www howtodothings com "how to recognize behaviors that may indicate suicidal thoughts" by patricia graves no date

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Social, Spiritual

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Keywords: Suicide suicidal depressed depression sad mental illness worthlessness worthless poor eating habits odd sleep patterns doesn’t sleep well sleeps too much sleeps all the time

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

Try: It is important for caregivers to be aware of the signs of serious depression and monitor the Care recipient (cr) for these signs if you suspect that the cr is becoming depressed appropriate steps should be taken to address the problem before it becomes more pronounced everybody experiences upsetting incidents in life and it is normal to go through a period of extreme sadness because of such events experiences like death of a loved one dissolution of a long-time relationship loss of work or property or failure in an endeavor can lead to a long period of sadness and grief normally people can get over the sad event and recover from it over time however should the melancholy linger for an unusual length of time or interfere with the activities of daily living you should try to determine if the cr is suffering from something more severe than just the blues the cr could be suffering from serious depression the primary symptoms are the cr cr’s gloomy low mood and low self-esteem this fact sheet will help you determine if the cr is suffering from serious depression a care recipient suffering from major depression is likely to develop a dreary outlook on life if a normally cheerful cr suddenly or gradually loses hope that the problem he or she is encountering will sort itself out in the future then the cr could be severely depressed the cr may feel a profound degree of helplessness and worthlessness the cr may start to believe that whatever he or she does no matter how much effort is put into it the situation will never get better often people around the cr will be put off by his or her pessimism this is normal reaction however if you truly care for the cr try to assess whether he or she is simply a pessimist or whether this gloomy mental state has been brought about by a serious mental disorder like a person abusing drugs seriously depressed individuals lose the capacity to feel pleasure and joy if the cr refuses to leave the bed and chooses to do nothing rather than go out or even take a bath this could be another sign of serious depression a depressed cr may no longer want to keep on living hobbies may be forgotten social activities may be diminished and even the cr cr’s sex drive could be lost the cr may lose interest in doing anything other than in ruminating over feelings of regret or guilt worthlessness or even self-hatred depression can also manifest physically if the cr is turning pale and developing dark bags under the eyes he or she could be suffering from insomnia the inability to sleep or its inverse – inability to stay awake is a symptom of clinical depression watch out also for acute weight changes both gaining and dropping weight are telltale signs of some underlying problems some crs tend to eat large quantities of food in order to fill the unexplainable sense of emptiness others also complain of relentless aches such as back pain cramps headaches and digestive problems these discomforts do not diminish even after taking medicines you may also observe some restlessness developing in a depressed cr watch out for unconscious hand wringing fidgeting in one’s seat or compulsion to pace across the same area repeatedly a care recipient recipient’s depressive state can affect mental faculties a depressed cr may have a hard time making decisions about anything the cr may also suffer from poor memory and diminished ability to concentrate severe cases are characterized by psychotic breaks where the cr may no longer be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy the cr also could suffer from hallucinations summary getting over a case of serious depression can be mentally emotionally and physically taxing a cr suffering from this disorder will likely need a lot of support and encouragement in order to recover it is important to remember that it is not all the cr cr’s fault he or she may not have made a choice to remain sad for a long period of time keeping this in mind could provide you with enough patience to assist the cr along the path of recovery information references adapted from www howtodothings com "how to recognize serious depression" by jessica turner no date

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Cognitive Intellectual, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Sexuality Intimacy, Social, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Depressed depression sad mental illness poor eating habits odd sleep patterns doesn’t sleep well sleeps too much sleeps all the time

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

Try: If you live far away from a Care recipient (cr) you might wonder what you can do to help start by understanding options for long-distance caregiving from gathering information and coordinating services to providing occasional respite for a primary caregiver long-distance caregiving does pose challenges for a caregiver long-distance caregiving can take many forms from a distance you might provide emotional support to a primary caregiver coordinate services for a cr such as arranging for household help or in-home care or arranging a move to a nursing facility manage a cr’s medical bills or records you might also set aside time for occasional personal visits information references mayoclinic com

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Long-distance caregiving

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

Try: Sleep apnea is a condition affecting many care recipients cr learn the risk factors associated with sleep apnea to see if the cr may be at risk the cr has a higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea if he is overweight male related to someone who has sleep apnea over the age of 65 black hispanic or a pacific islander a smoker other risk factors include certain physical attributes such as having a thick neck deviated septum receding chin or enlarged tonsils; however these are difficult to determine from the caregiver’s perspectice information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Medical Physical

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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: Sleep apnea is a condition affecting many care recipients cr it can be difficult to identify sleep apnea in the cr since most of the symptoms occur during sleep but it is still important to learn the signs and symptoms to determine if the cr may have sleep apnea major signs and symptoms of sleep apnea loud and chronic snoring choking snorting or gasping during sleep long pauses in breathing daytime sleepiness no matter how much time you spend in bed other common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat morning headaches restless or fitful sleep insomnia or nighttime awakenings going to the bathroom frequently during the night waking up feeling out of breath forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating moodiness irritability or depression information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Medical Physical

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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: When caring for someone with dementia caregivers often find themselves having to learn new skills deal with situations they never dealt with before cope with feelings of frustration work toward understanding the cause of certain behaviors to more effectively deal with them people with dementia are often unable to tell you exactly what is wrong caregivers need to be aware of and look for signs of physical discomfort when a person exhibits an unwanted behavior look at these possible causes physically ill experiencing pain needing to use the bathroom hungry or thirsty frightened by how someone approached them or talked to them experiencing a side effect of a medication experiencing a medication interaction if they are taking more than one medication anxious about being in an unfamiliar surrounding distracted by too much activity in the area distracted by noise they may be agitated by bright lights not enough light loud bold colors room temperatures people with memory loss may recognize the need to eat or drink or use the toilet but are unable to locate or ask where or how to satisfy those needs in frustration they may then have a sudden change in behavior or functioning level someone someone’s attitude mood or approach when talking to a person with dementia is very important caregivers can alleviate distress and set the tone for almost every interaction because the individual with dementia takes their cues from them if someone is abrupt talking too loudly or rushing through a task this will be communicated to the person with memory loss and he or she may react negatively if a caregiver speaks calmly and reassuringly this can reduce anxiety for the older adult information references references "mental health mental illness healthy aging a nh guide for older adults and caregivers" by nami nh 2001 available at www nami org

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Independence, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision, Cognitive Awareness, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

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Keywords: Agitated confused memory loss challenging behavior communication combative wants to go home wandering wanders shadowing verbal repetition yelling yells verbal outbursts sleep problems odd sleep patterns

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

Try: Many care recipient’s cr experience sleeping problems while many people often jump straight to medications other more natural aids such as relaxation techniques can also have success relaxation techniques that can relieve stress and help you sleep include simple meditation practices progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing techniques these techniques are often easy to learn and can help the cr unwind at bedtime and improve sleep naturally the following are natural relaxation techniques for the cr to try relax before bedtime focus on quiet soothing activities such as reading gentle yoga or listening to soft music before bed abdominal breathing close your eyes and try taking deep slow breaths making each breath even deeper than the last breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth make each exhale a little longer than each inhale this type of breathing can calm the body and increase relaxation muscle relaxation lie down or make yourself comfortable starting with your feet tense the muscles as tightly as you can count to ten and then relax start with the feet and then work up the body information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Sleep sleep aids relaxation

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

Try: The ability to manage stress is important for caregivers if your methods of coping with stress aren’t helping your emotional and physical health it’s time to find healthier ones there are multiple healthy ways to manage and cope with stress you can either change the situation or change your reaction when deciding which option to choose it’s helpful to think of the easy to remember strategies avoid alter adapt or accept since everyone has a unique response to stress there is no one answer that will work for everyone no single method works in every situation so experiment with different techniques and strategies focus on what makes you feel calm and in control with the Care recipient (cr) if possible avoid the stressor this may be difficult with the cr but it is worth considering attempt to adapt the stressor adapt stressful situations or their causes information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological

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Keywords: Stress stress management

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

Try: Conflict resolution is an important skill to have when caring for a Care recipient (cr) the most important information exchanged during conflicts and arguments is often communicated nonverbally nonverbal communication is conveyed by emotionally-driven facial expressions posture gesture pace tone and intensity of voice when people are upset their emotions cloud communication however when we listen for what is felt as well as said we connect more deeply to our own needs and emotions and to those of other people during conflict focus on nonverbal communication using nonverbal signals may help you figure out what the other person is really saying respond in a way that builds trust and get to the root of the problem simple nonverbal signals such as a calm tone of voice a reassuring touch or an interested or concerned facial expression can go a long way toward relaxing a tense exchange remember when emotions cloud verbal communication focus on the nonverbal signals information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological

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Keywords: Conflict resolution nonverbal communication

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

Try: There are many different types of nonverbal communication together the following nonverbal signals and cues help one understand communication with the Care recipient (cr) facial expressions the human face is extremely expressive able to express countless emotions without saying a word and unlike some forms of nonverbal communication facial expressions are generally universal body movements and posture the way one moves and carries on communicates a wealth of information to the world this type of nonverbal communication includes posture bearing stance and subtle movements gestures gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives we wave point beckon and use our hands when we’re arguing or speaking animatedly, expressing ourselves with gestures often without thinking eye contact since the visual sense is dominant for most people eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal communication the way one looks at someone can communicate many things including interest affection hostility or attraction touch people communicate a great deal through touch think about the messages given by the following a firm handshake a timid tap on the shoulder a warm bear hug a reassuring pat on the back or a touch on the head space we all have a need for physical space although that need differs depending on the culture the situation and the closeness of the relationship people can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages including signals of intimacy aggression dominance or affection voice remember it’s not just what we say it’s how we say it things they pay attention to include timing and pace how loud we speak tone and inflection tone of voice for example can indicate sarcasm anger affection or confidence information references helpguide org

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Cognitive Intellectual, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Personal, Social

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Keywords: Communication nonverbal body language

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