Try: Here are some tips for making the most out of your visit with the cr find out what the cr needs before visiting the cr talk to him about what tasks you might be able to assist with during your trip does the cr need to go shopping or is there something at the house that needs to be fixed schedule appointments for the cr ask the cr if you can accompany him on a doctor doctor’s appointment during your visit this will give you an opportunity to discuss the cr’s health medications and any other questions you might have consider making appointments with the cr’s lawyer and financial adviser as well look for signs of problems during your visit check to see how well the cr is managing daily tasks is the cr able to drive safely eat regular meals keep up with personal grooming and pay his bills ask the cr cr’s friends and neighbors if they’ve noticed any behavioral changes health problems or safety issues set aside quality time watch a movie with the cr or take him to visit friends or family offer to play a game of cards simple activities can help you and the cr relax and enjoy your time together

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Communication, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from www mayoclinic com

Keywords: Long-distance caregiving

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

Try: Try not to intervene and do the particular task for the cr even if it means taking longer the cr needs to hang onto whatever independence he or she does have once you start doing the tasks the cr will continue to let you take over this will increase the cr cr’s dependence on you for other things as well the cr will sometimes just give up because his or her attempts to complete the task are not pleasing you

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Maintenance, No Supervision, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Hold a family meeting if some of the family members live away have a conference call have a list of the issues that need to be addressed regarding care listen to everyone’s individual feelings on the matters and work together to find a workable solution to start care keep in mind that each situation needs to be reviewed later and necessary changes can be made to adapt a situation that doesn’t seem to be working try to involve the Care recipient (cr) in these decisions keep calm and don’t get defensive if heated discussions arise always keep the option open of getting outside help to provide respite care make sure the meeting is closed with specific decisions made concerning what care will be given and who is responsible for the care

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

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References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: You need to be very firm about remaining the head of the household and should not slip into the role of a child under the thumb of your parent you and your family should be given your own privacy at certain times and occasions and the same consideration should be given to your parent you should clearly communicate your expectations of rules and duties for all family members including your parent don’t assume that family members will fall into a specific role unless asked to keep the lines of communication open as problems arise don’t ignore issues and hope they will go away meet them head on with an open mind try to communicate without arguing and placing blame don’t walk away from the problem until a workable solution has been reached it should be understood also that your parent is not a visitor in the home and should be included in activities and help with chores if possible you should not assume that cr will share likes and dislikes regarding social activities your parent may not want to be involved with all of them try to find out what activities your parent may want to be a part of and what friends your parent would like to have visit see if this can be worked into the schedule

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Make regular phone calls to the cr at a set time for example every morning after breakfast every sunday evening and so on this may provide the cr with something to look forward to provide an opportunity to plan events and activities that can be shared when you call send cards for no other reason than to make the cr’s day this will show that you care and are thinking about him or her use e-mail if possible to send messages pictures jokes words of encouragement and so on send photos of your activities so the cr can feel involved in your life even though he or she is not there visit as often as you can

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

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Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Provide the new cg with the following

Materials: n/a

Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

Information: About the Care recipient (cr) to ease the transition a list of the cr’s likes and dislikes in as many areas as you can think of for example does the cr have a favorite chair favorite outfit favorite television or radio program or favorite food a description of the cr cr’s normal daily routine does cr prefer to shower in the morning or evening what time does the cr prefer to go to bed at night or get up in the morning information on medications and allergies all pertinent phone numbers of friends and family including the order in which they should be notified in the event of an emergency other suggestions to ease the transition discuss your specific expectations about what the new cr should do regarding grocery shopping hair or doctor’s appointments laundry or housekeeping keep the lines of communication open between yourself and the cg if there is dissatisfaction on either part you both need to be comfortable in discussing it and finding a workable solution if you would like the cg to take the cr out to lunch or shopping let the cg know if there is cash available and whether receipts need to be kept establish an emergency plan if the cg is ill and cannot come to care for cr make arrangements for a backup cg information

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Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Make your home senior safe make sure bathtub is equipped with safety handles or grab bars get a bathing stool for the shower get a baby monitor for the cr cr’s room or a bell that he or she can ring to call for help if needed if a bathroom is not close to their bedroom keep a commode nearby for use at nighttime get a raised toilet seat or seat with extension frame around the toilet line the bathtub with non-slip decals make sure extension cords are not laying out where they can be tripped over prepare a comfortable and cheerful bedroom with colorful wallpaper or paint make sure the room is well lit provide a place to sit other than the bed to watch tv or read if the hallway to the cr cr’s room is long place a chair midway down the hall in case the cr needs to rest

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Keep all activities or tasks simple introduce yourself each time you are with the Care recipient (cr) if you have to for example hi mom it it’s me your son mike always approach the cr from the front always use a soft subtle voice the cr will be able to tell if you are agitated or stressed put yourself in the cr cr’s shoes and be empathetic be patient if the cr can’t remember or repeats things a cr with short-term memory impairment may not remember something thirty seconds or one minute later use baby monitors they are especially good in the evening if the cr wanders around after the sun goes down or at risk for falling include the cr when you are doing chores for example ask the cr to help you fold the laundry put dishes away or even plant flowers ask for help with just one task at a time put up the cr cr’s valuable jewelry and replace it with costume jewelry it is fairly common for the cr to lose expensive jewelry that has sentimental value check wastebaskets thoroughly before you empty them use smaller wastebaskets that are easier to go through stick to a routine whenever possible for example take bath have breakfast go for a walk play table games have lunch and so on make notes regarding the cr cr’s daily routine activities likes dislikes and so on certain times of day things may work better than others something that doesn’t work on one day may work on another try to have some sort of identification on the cr name address and phone number do not let your pride get in the way ask for help when you need it don’t try to fly solo when it comes to caregiving there are many resources available to help so take advantage of them whenever they would be benefical take care of yourself as well you will not be of much use to the cr if you don’t get enough sleep eat right exercise and so on caregiving can be very stressful was wear you down learn how to manage stress and make relaxation part of your daily routine take periodic breaks from caregiving find a relative or friend who can stay with the cg while you get a break and have some time for yourself take five minutes each night to record your thoughts in a dairy you may be able to use your caregiving experience to help someone in the future

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

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References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Ask for help family and friends may want to help and even offer to help but they are unsure what to do be direct and specific when asking for help don’t make the request a question such as could you help me _____ make the request specific for example i would really appreciate it if you could rake the leaves match the chore to the talent or the interest of the helper if you can if it is possible give the helper options for when the task can be completed for example either today or tomorrow or possibly one day next week

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

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References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

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

Try: Remember that the cg’s responsibility as a cg is to provide support and assistance remember that the cg is not responsible to eliminate the cr’s behaviors modify or reduce frequency and severity of problem behaviors and patterns in the cr remember that the cg is not responsible for changing the cr as a person focus on assisting the cr with improving his or her adjustment to the current situation remember that the cr’s condition existed before the cg was hired and and the cr’s condition will still exist after the cg is gone find a comfortable way to live with uncertainty take time to think about how the cg has helped the cr make a list take breaks when the cg can while cr is napping ask for help when feeling overwhelmed remind the cg that he or she is making a difference in a person’s quality of life

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support

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Keywords: n/a

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