Managing conflict is important for a caregiver caring for a Care recipient (cr) conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings disappointment and…

Try: Managing conflict is important for a caregiver caring for a Care recipient (cr) conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings disappointment and discomfort when handled in an unhealthy manner it can cause irreparable rifts resentments and break-ups but when conflict is resolved in a healthy way it increases understanding between the cr and the caregiver if you are out of touch with your feelings or so stressed that you can only pay attention to a limited number of emotions you won’t be able to understand your own needs if you don’t understand your needs you will have a difficulty communicating effectively with the cr the ability to successfully resolve conflict depends on your ability to manage stress quickly while remaining alert and calm by staying calm you can accurately read and interpret verbal and nonverbal communication control your emotions and behavior when you’re in control of your emotions you can communicate your needs without threatening frightening or punishing others pay attention to the feelings being expressed as well as the spoken words of others be aware of and respectful of differences by avoiding disrespectful words and actions you can resolve the problem faster information references helpguide org

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological

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Keywords: Conflict resolution stress emotions

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

The elderly have a unique and interesting take on history that only they can share recording their history in print or on cd video can…

Try: The elderly have a unique and interesting take on history that only they can share recording their history in print or on cd video can leave a lasting legacy for future generations information use the following checklist to spur conversation when interviewing the Care recipient (cr) where did you grow up is that where you were born describe your life as a child what is your mother mother’s maiden name what do you know of her family what do you know of your father father’s family tell us about your school days describe high school and what you did after graduation where did you work what were your hobbies did you play sports what were the politics like while you were growing up what kind of car did your parents drive what did you hope to be or do when you grew up did you accomplish your goals in life references adapted from information found in the book caring for an aging parent by sheryl garrett cfp

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Personal, Social

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Keywords: History legacy

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

Use the following checklist when preparing a health care directive information # research the laws in the care recipient recipient’s cr state covering health care…

Try: Use the following checklist when preparing a health care directive information # research the laws in the care recipient recipient’s cr state covering health care directives # the cr needs to discuss the directive with all of his or her health care providers to make sure that the wishes will be honored # after the discussion with the medical staff the directive should be written down and signed by the cr and then notarized # the directive should be shared with appropriate family members and friends involved in the caregiving # make copies of the directive store them in a safe place and make sure they are accessible 24 hours a day #review the directive at least yearly to ensure current details are in place references adapted from information found in the book caring for an aging parent by sheryl garret cfp

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Categories: Communication, Financial, Legal

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Keywords: Health care directive living will legal

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

When a family member has alzheimer’s disease ad it affects everyone in the family including children and grandchildren it it’s important to talk to them…

Try: When a family member has alzheimer’s disease ad it affects everyone in the family including children and grandchildren it it’s important to talk to them about what is happening how much and what kind of information you share depends on the child child’s age it also depends on his or her relationship to the person with ad possible suggestions give children information about ad that they can understand there are good books about ad for children of all ages some are listed on the alzheimer alzheimer’s disease education and referral adear center website www nia nih gov alzheimers 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, Social, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, 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: Communication children child grandchildren grandchild memory loss cognitive impairment

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

When the Care recipient (cr) is diagnosed with a long term illness you need to start getting his or her health legal and financial affairs…

Try: When the Care recipient (cr) is diagnosed with a long term illness you need to start getting his or her health legal and financial affairs in order it is best to do this while the cr still has satisfactory cognitive abilities and can make informed decisions it is important that the health legal and financial information reflect the cr cr’s wishes and is kept up to date here are some of the important documents the cr should have durable power of attorney for finances this document gives an individual who is named trustee the legal authority to make financial decisions on behalf of the cr durable power of attorney for health care this document gives an individual who is named trustee the power to make health care decisions on behalf of the cr living will this document states the cr cr’s wishes for end-of-life health care do not resuscitate form this document states the cr cr’s wishes if his or her breathing or heart stops will this document states how the cr wants his or her property and money to be divided among those left behind living trust this document gives an individual who is named trustee the legal authority to manage and distribute property and financial assets while the cr is still living information references adapted from the national institute on aging internet website www nia nih gov "caring for a person with alzheimer’s disease your easy-to-use guide 2011

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Categories: Communication, Financial, Legal, Medical Physical, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Financial planning wills trusts attorney health care

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

Discussions between caregivers cgs and care recipients crs can be positive or negative offering information rather than giving all the answers helps facilitate positive communication…

Try: Discussions between caregivers cgs and care recipients crs can be positive or negative offering information rather than giving all the answers helps facilitate positive communication information personality traits and patterns of the cr rarely change over the years although they may intensify during the aging process communication that is focused on present-day issues is more beneficial to both the cr and the cg informal and relaxed conversations turn out better than forced communication crs are fully capable of doing and understanding many things even if bed-ridden references adapted from information found in the book the complete eldercare planner by joy loverde

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Communication personality issues

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

Many americans age 65 consider themselves christians they were raised in churches of the christian faith and look at life through a christianity point of…

Try: Many americans age 65 consider themselves christians they were raised in churches of the christian faith and look at life through a christianity point of view information traditional christianity teaches the following the bible is the living word of god the bible can be summed up with one statement love god and love others there is one true god who exists as father son and holy spirit that god sent his son jesus to save people from their sins jesus lived a sinless life and was crucified on a cross jesus supernaturally rose from the grave and is alive and seated at the right hand of god jesus will return for his people and live eternally with them in heaven anyone can have eternal life through faith in jesus christ references

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Personal, Social, Spiritual

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Keywords: Christianity spirituality beliefs prayer meditation god jesus bible

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

Learn to look at behavior as a form of communication what does the care recipient recipient’s behavior communicate to you it may be that your…

Try: Learn to look at behavior as a form of communication what does the care recipient recipient’s behavior communicate to you it may be that your behavior a problem instead of the cr cr’s key points to consider know the person getting to know each other as individuals begins to build a relationship the more we know each other the better we can work together and care for each other we are all individuals all of us are unique we must acknowledge that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and these are a part of the web of our community – of life when you have met one person with alzheimer’s disease you have met just one person with alzheimer’s disease what is your life story we all have a story to tell and a past present and future that tells a lot about who we are who we were and who we wish to become take a walk in their shoes we can never truly understand what others are feeling but we can put ourselves in their shoes and imagine what it may be like it helps us see the person and to understand how to better communicate and understand behaviors words can make a difference words are powerful the idea behind person-centered language is to acknowledge and respect long-term care residents as individuals using person-centered language is often as simple as reversing common phrases to put the person first and the characteristic second "a wheelchair bound resident" for instance becomes " a person who uses a wheelchair for mobility " karen schoeneman www pioneernetwork net say yes find ways to rearrange your words in a positive manner turn "don’t go that way" into "come this way with me " no one likes to hear "no " learn to say "yes " be aware of your non-verbal communication we get messages from each other from the tone and volume of voice posture facial expressions and hand gestures not only do we need to be careful of our messages but to read those we care for when they have failing verbal communication slow down we are all very busy we have a lot to do in a short amount of time but let’s take a breath and slow down just a little bit be present a person with dementia may be living from moment to moment let’s practice spontaneity flexibility and enthusiasm to be present with them in those moments respect and empower let them do what they can do for as long as they can do it laugh find the joy use humor it is the universal language everyone understands it laughter builds relationships costs nothing and makes us feel good information references adapted from a presentation by karen stobbe for culture change network of georgia

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Categories: Communication

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

Earwax is a self-cleaning agent produced in the ears that acts as a lubricating and antibacterial protector to the ears earwax is not really a…

Try: Earwax is a self-cleaning agent produced in the ears that acts as a lubricating and antibacterial protector to the ears earwax is not really a wax but a water-soluble mixture of secretions produced in the outer third of the ear canal it also contains hair and dead skin earwax builds up in the outer one-third of the ear canal it naturally works its way out of the ear when a person moves his her jaw while talking and chewing too much earwax can damage hearing aids earwax build up in the ear canal can cause the hearing aid to fit poorly and not seal properly when this happens the hearing aid will produce feedback too much earwax can also damage the hearing aid sixty to seventy percent of all hearing aids sent for repair are damaged due to earwax build up on the device treatment hearing aid users should have their ears checked about every 3 months if earwax build up is found there are a variety of techniques to help resolve the problem these include flushing the ear with wax-dissolving agents like water or saline using irrigation or ear syringing manual removal with special instruments or a suction device used when someone has a narrow ear canals eardrum perforation or tube or immune deficiency information references "earwax and hearing aids" by the american academy of otolaryngology head and neck surgery available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Communication, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Ears earwax hearing hearing aids

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

In the process of care giving you may encounter instances when the Care recipient (cr) wants to file a complaint with a third party this…

Try: In the process of care giving you may encounter instances when the Care recipient (cr) wants to file a complaint with a third party this could be another individual organization or business the cr may ask for your assistance in this process as his or her advocate knowing how to complain effectively and using the right approach will have a major impact on the outcome and disposition of the cr cr’s complaint materials and supports that you may need pen pencil and notebook written documentation of the cr’s rights if available and applicable individuals who can provide support for the cr how to help the cr file an effective complaint with a third party approach the cr with an open mind about the situation incident etc that has resulted in the need to file a complaint remain objective and do not have any preconceived notions about the situation interview the cr about the situation and make detailed notes to document the discussion find out exactly what happened and make sure you have the facts straight separate facts from opinions for example "the nurse told me to shut up" is a fact "the nurse was rude" is an opinion if the cr’s opinion will be the basis for the complaint you should document all of the facts that support that opinion review written documentation of the cr’s rights if it is available and applicable for example many senior housing communities hospitals etc have written statements of resident or client rights the statement of rights may help support the cr’s case solicit input support and assistance from the cr’s family members friends caregivers health care providers and others who may be helpful after thoroughly researching the situation you need to make a determination if the complaint is valid if the complaint is not valid you will need to calmly and gently try to reason with the cr and explain your decision if the complaint is valid you and the cr need to decide exactly who you need to complain to the effectiveness and outcome of the complaint may depend on getting to the right person organization or business some businesses and organizations have a designated departments or individuals to handle complaints this could be the customer service public relations marketing or human relations departments it also could be an individual with the title such as ombudsman in some cases the ombudsman works for an independent public agency of the state or county while getting a regulatory agency involved will likely get the business or organization organization’s attention it may also result in a poor working relationship in the future although going through official channels may work you may get better results by going directly to the department head who has oversight of area related to the complaint taking the path of least resistance to settle things may be better than making a big fuss however this is a judgment call that you and the cr will need to make before you move forward with the complaint you also need to decide on your overall approach decide who is going to file the complaint and get all of the documentation in order receipts correspondence bills etc it would probably be best to make an appointment to discuss your complaint rather than show up unannounced during the appointment you and the cr should try to remain calm and avoid show of emotions anger sadness etc be civil rather than confrontational express how the cr felt rather than criticize the other party for example saying "the cr felt unimportant because the call light was on for a long period of time" is better than saying "your senior housing community is understaffed and the employees don’t care about the residents this approach sometimes referred to as direct expression of feelings may be more effective because it is not as confrontational use good listening skills make good eye contact use appropriate body language allow the other party to speak and don’t do all of the talking acknowledge that you are hearing and understand what the other party is saying even if you don’t agree with it work together with the other party to arrive at a mutually agreeable and beneficial solution to the problem or issue make sure the solution is clear and fully understood by all interested parties maintain a list of individuals who have helped the cr solve complaints for future reference

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Legal, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Complaining griping grievance information references keywords

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