The first rule of taking care of others: take care of
yourself first. Caregiving can be a rewarding experience, but it is also
physically and emotionally demanding. The stress of dealing with caregiving
responsibilities leads to a higher risk of health issues among the Nation’s 90
million family caregivers.
Caregiving can be a stressful job. Most family caregivers
say they feel stressed providing care for a loved one. With all of their
caregiving responsibilities – from managing medications to arranging doctor
appointments to planning meals – caregivers too often put themselves last.
Our Northwest Area Agency on Aging provides many services
for people over 60 that can help lighten the load for caregivers. Services like light housekeeping, home
visits, medication set up and more may be possible through their agency. If you are interested in finding out about
their services, have the person you are taking care of call
1-888-844-5626. This saves time in
arranging services. If the person has
difficulty communicating, call the toll free number yourself.
The stress of caregiving impacts your own health. One out of
five caregivers admit they have sacrificed their own physical health while
caring for a loved one. Due to stress, family caregivers have a
disproportionate number of health and emotional problems. They are twice as
likely to suffer depression and are at increased risk for many other chronic
conditions.
The Health Center offers bi-monthly Adult Blood Draws on the
last Wednesday of each month from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at our office, located at
800 Adam Drive. We offer many basic
tests at an affordable charge. Share
your results with your healthcare provider to determine if there are issues
that need more attention.
Proper nutrition helps promote good health. Ensuring that
you are getting proper nutrition is key to help maintain your strength, energy
and stamina, as well as strengthening your immune system. Maintaining a healthy
diet is one of the most powerful things you can do to take care of yourself and
keep a positive attitude overall.
Ensuring good nutrition for your loved one helps make care
easier. As many as half of all older adults are at risk for malnutrition. Good
nutrition can help maintain muscle health, support recovery, and reduce risk
for re-hospitalization – which may help make your care of a loved one easier.
There are two separate meal delivery programs in Livingston
County. Home-Delivered Meals is managed
by the Grand River Multipurpose Center and delivered by RSVP volunteers. For more information on that project, call
646-1115.
A different organization, Mobile Meals, is sponsored by
Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe with meals delivered by volunteers.
Mobile Meals provides lunch Monday through Friday, including any holidays that
fall through the week. The meals cost $3.85 per day and there are no
qualifications to receive Mobile Meals; anyone who has a need may make
reservations. Call Maureen Erwin at 646-5521 for more information.
Remember: “Rest. Recharge. Respite.” People think of respite
as a luxury, but considering caregivers’ higher risk for health issues from
chronic stress, those risks can be a lot costlier than some time away to
recharge. The chance to take a breather, the opportunity to re-energize, is
vital in order for you to be as good a caregiver tomorrow as you were today.
Our community is very lucky to have an adult day center,
Bella-Brooke, that provides medic al and personal care, as well as a place for
recreational therapy and socialization.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, consider their services. Bella-Brook Adult also hosts a Caregiver
Support Group monthly on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at
their location at 1115 Second Street.
They usually have a speaker and an opportunity to share, vent and
support each other.
If you are a family caregiver, remember to pay attention to
your own physical and mental wellness, and get proper rest and nutrition. Only
by taking care of yourself can you be strong enough to take care of your loved
one. You really do need to “take care to give care.”
Source: Caregiver Action Network
