Try: Learn how to say no – know your limits and stick to them try to refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching a limit taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress avoid people who stress you out as much as possible – if someone consistently causes stress in your life limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely this is difficult for the average caregiver however one can alternatively learn how to better manage the stressful situation take control of your environment – you can control certain aspects of your environment by reducing stress in your caregiving environment you make it easier on yourself and the cr avoid controversial topics – if you get upset over religion or politics cross them off your conversation list if you repeatedly argue with the cr about a specific issue stop bringing it up or of change the topic when the cr starts discussing it reduce your to-do list – analyze your schedule responsibilities and daily tasks involving the cr if you’ve got too much on your plate distinguish between the required duties and optional duties drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely if possible

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: Helpguide org

Keywords: Stress managing stress

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

Try: Short term emotional flashbacks can be either positive or negative depending upon the memory that is evoked through the emotions keep a notebook and jot down whenever a particular activity song visitor outing meal article of clothing photo and so on brings a smile and a sense of calm to the cr expand upon these by designing a nostalgic trip each day for the cr to be involved in a feeling of comfort and home that the cr can visit through remembrance may lessen the confusion and frustration of dealing with the limitations of the present encourage the sharing of memories and make notes of these to be read and enjoyed over and over again this will help preserve the memories that may fade with time allow the cr to talk about these special events or memories this may relieve boredom and depression allow the cr to share positive life experiences this may provide you with a clearer picture of the cr’s life passions and core values this in turn may deepen your connection and the interaction with the cr

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social

Information: n/a

References: Empirical validation of model of reminiscence and health in later life by p capelliez and n o’rourke

Keywords: Positive memory nostalgia conversation interaction

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

Try: Try to find the real reasons behind resistance to help a seemingly resistant cr could be frightened that he is no longer able to do tasks that were formerly simple it might be more comfortable to deny it and avoid problems express concerns as your own instead of accusing the cr might be more open to honest expressions of concern frame the conversation in terms of benefits to the cr respect the cr’s autonomy and involve him in decisions unless the cr is incapacitated the final decision about care is up to him however others can help by offering suggestions and ideas enlist others for help talking to others who have had positive experiences with in home help can sometimes persuade the cr sometimes hearing feedback from a disinterested third party can give the cr a better perspective

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Financial, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: Helpguide org

Keywords: Home care home help assistance

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

Try: Try to figure out what the cr needs in each specific situation serve as the cr cr’s advocate in dealing with the adult children be assertive and stand up for what is right for cr state the cr cr’s needs clearly and definitively so that the adult children can’t fail to understand don’t allow the conversation with the adult childern to be sidetracked onto other issues

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social

Information: Up-to-date

References: ten tips to help seniors communicate with their boomer children by caregiverstress com 2010 available at www caregiverstress com

Keywords: Patronized put down communication family communication dealing with adult children assertive assertiveness

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

Try: Encourage the cr to consider the following in some circumstances it may be easier to walk away or go along with something not every battle is worth fighting save the assertive behavior for the most important situations where being assertive will make a positive difference in the outcome

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social

Information: Up-to-date

References: ten tips to help seniors communicate with their boomer children by caregiverstress com 2010 available at www caregiverstress com

Keywords: Patronized put down communication family communication dealing with adult children assertive assertiveness

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

Try: Encourage the cr to try the following suggestions look for the places and times in which you are most effective in getting what you need out of conversations with your adult childern plan to have important conversations with your adult childern at those places and times if you are more on your toes in the morning try to arrange the meetings with your adult children at that time so that you can get the most out of the meeting

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Personal, Social

Information: Up-to-date

References: ten tips to help seniors communicate with their boomer children by caregiverstress com 2010 available at www caregiverstress com

Keywords: Patronized put down bullied communication family communication dealing with adult children assertive assertiveness

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

Try: Plan the visit when cr is at his her best call care giver cg to find out consider bringing along some kind of activity such as a well-known book or photo album to look at this can help if cr is bored or confused and needs to be distracted but be prepared to skip the activity if it is not needed

Materials: Well-known book or photo album

Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Somewhat Aware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

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

Keywords: Visiting visits friends coming over family visiting memory loss doesn’t remember me jogging the memory

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

Try: Be calm and quiet don’t use a loud voice or talk to cr as if he she were a child respect cr cr’s personal space and don’t get too close make eye contact and call cr by name to get his her attention

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Somewhat Aware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

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

Keywords: Visiting visits friends coming over family visiting memory loss doesn’t remember me jogging the memory

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

Try: The cr cr’s driving ability can often be a sensitive issue to discuss a driver’s license signifies more than the ability to drive a car; it is often a last sign of independence some crs may be aware of their reduced ability but may still be reluctant to give up driving completely the following suggestions may help you in this discussion be respectful for many crs driving is an integral part of independence many crs have fond memories of driving at the same time don’t be intimidated or back down if a legitimate concern exists give specific examples about driving it’s easier for the cr to ignore generalizations about his or her driving providing specific examples that document your concerns will help you make your point find strength in numbers if more than one family member or friend has noticed unsafe driving and discussed this with the cr the issue will probably be taken more seriously by the cr the cr may also be more willing to listen to an impartial third party such as a doctor or driving specialist help find alternatives the cr may be so used to driving that he or she has not considered alternatives try to assist the cr in locating other options that may work understand how difficult this is for the cr the cr will likely experience a profound sense of loss when giving up driving recognize and acknowledge the cr’s feelings and try to help with the transition as much as possible

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Maintenance, Medical Physical, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision, So-So Vision, Poor Vision, So-So Hearing, Poor Hearing, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from the internet website www helpguide org

Keywords: Driving car

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

Try: As the Care recipient (cr) gets older driving habits and abilities can change it is important to pay attention to any warning signs of impaired driving ability and make appropriate adjustments implementation of the following tips may allow the cr to continue driving safely encourage the cr to take charge of his or her health regular check-ups are critical to make sure the cr is in good health this includes eye exams having hearing checked and routine physicals find a car that is easy for the cr to drive choose a vehicle with automatic transmission power steering and power brakes make sure the cr’s vehicle is serviced regularly and in good condition make sure that windows and headlights are always clean show the cr how to drive defensively the cr needs to take extra steps to drive safely such as leaving adequate space for the car in front and not tailgating paying extra attention at intersections driving with the flow of traffic not too slow and not too fast avoiding distractions such as talking on the phone while driving talk with the cr about his or her limitations talk with the cr about his or her comfort level with driving many older drivers voluntarily begin to make changes in their driving practices for example driving only during daylight hours if he or she has trouble seeing well in reduced light avoiding driving in bad weather rain thunderstorms snow hail ice and so on if driving in fast-moving traffic is too difficult the cr should consider staying off freeways highways and find street routes instead encourage others to discuss driving and safety concerns with the cr you may reach the point where it is time to have an honest conversation with the cr about his or her continued ability to drive it may be easier to convince the cr that changes are needed if there are other individuals who support your recommendations it also may be helpful if you get input from others in the decision making process

Materials: n/a

Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision, So-So Vision, Poor Vision, So-So Hearing, Poor Hearing, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from the internet website www helpguide org

Keywords: Driving car

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