What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? Roast beef and cheddar? Peanut butter and jelly? Hummus and veggie? Sandwiches, much like us, are diverse and varied, sometimes simple, sometimes complicated. But they always have one thing in common: the middle component holds it all together. If you are caring for kids and parents at the same time – you are the middle component holding it all together.
As a caregiver, the phrase you probably hear most from friends and family is “What can I do to help?” As you juggle the responsibilities of caring for a loved one through an illness or crisis, as well as the every day, ongoing daily tasks, ranging from family to career, those offers of help can be both a welcome relief and additional burden. Here at Lotsa Helping Hands, hundreds of thousands of caregivers have accepted community help during times of need. We recognize that you may find all those offers of help overwhelming, so here are a few ideas to empower you the next time you hear that question.
Employee, family member, caregiver, friend, citizen. We all carry multiple roles in society, and each comes with pressures to deliver the highest quality service. Sometimes those responsibilities require more than a 24-hour day will allow, which has implications for not only individuals and families, but also businesses of all shapes and sizes.
By: Comfort Keepers®
This month is National Family Caregivers Month and serves as a time to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of family caregivers far and near. Unfortunately, as the senior population is projected to increase in the following years, the number of eligible family caregivers is declining. According to AARP, the ratio of caregivers to individuals over the age of 80 will decline from 7:1 in 2010, 4:1 by 2030 and 3:1 by 2050.
By: Alexandra Axel, The Caregiver Space
Do you want to give a caregiver in your life a break? Here’s what NOT to do.
When a loved one develops a health problem, typically one family member serves as the primary caregiver, depending on geographic distance from, or relationship to, the patient. In an ideal world, the rest of the family steps in to give the primary caregiver some respite. But sometimes, relatives hoping to help can end up doing more harm then good.
By: John Schall, CEO, Caregiver Action Network
November is National Family Caregivers Month and this year’s theme this is Family Caregivers – Now More Than Ever!
Each year, more and more Americans are caring for a loved one with a chronic condition, disability, or the frailties of old age. There are as many as 90 million family caregivers in the U.S. today. And family caregivers, in turn, rely on help from volunteers – friends, neighbors, others in the community – with any number of the many tasks that go along with caregiving.
By: Comfort Keepers
Nothing hurts more than seeing a loved one’s memories start to fade away. Familiar faces and places are taking more time for your mom or dad to recognize, and the patience and compassion a family caregiver has to show at all times can be an unanticipated struggle some days. There is no cure for dementia, but studies have shown increased cognitive activity can help offset the progression of the disease and make improvements. The American Music Therapy Association says that music therapy provides dementia patients with numerous opportunities, and we want to go over some of the ways it can help enhance the care of your loved one with dementia.
By David Novak
Caring for a loved one with an illness — like cancer, dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease– is not easy. It takes strength, patience and love. When caring for a loved one, your health and wellness may often take a backseat. As a caregiver, all your time and energy is devoted to nurturing your friend or family member. You grab fast food at a drive-through or skip meals entirely to stay by his or her side. You let your exercise program go. And because a caregiver role can be extremely mentally fatiguing, your mental health can be at stake as well.
By Anila Sitaram Venkat
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2030, 20% of Americans will be 65 years or older, up from 13% in 2009. This trend represents a confluence of two factors: an aging Baby Boomer population and the fact that people are living longer than ever before.
This trend will no doubt have far-reaching implications, from creating a shortage of geriatricians and nurses trained to care for the elderly, to placing an increased burden on our hospitals and long-term care facilities. However a lesser recognized impact is the strain that this trend will place on caregivers: the family and friends charged with taking care of their elderly loved ones.
By Hope Flammer, CEO of VoiceQuilt
If you’re visiting this blog, you know that Lotsa Helping Hands is a terrific resource for coordinating support for a loved one in a caregiving community. When I first discovered Lotsa Helping Hands, I envisioned armies of volunteers delivering casseroles to families taking care of a loved one in the hospital.