February 7,2013

4pm-7pm

Toms River Elks Lodge #1875

  

-Centers of Medicare and Medicaid

-Ocean County Office of Senior Services

- Ocean County Office of Individuals with Disabilities

- Holy Redeemer Homecare and Hospice

  

To RSVP call Michelle Smith

732-262-8020 or email msmith@njcaregivers.org

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Do you take care of someone in your family with a chronic medical illness or dementia? Have you felt depression, anger or guilt? Has your health deteriorated since taking on the responsibility of caregiving? If your answer is yes to any one of these, you may be suffering from caregiver stress.

 

This condition is increasingly being referred to as "caregiver syndrome" by the medical community because of its numerous consistent signs and symptoms. In the pamphlet, "Caring for Persons with Dementia," Dr. Jean Posner, a neuropsychiatrist in Baltimore, Maryland, referred to caregiver syndrome as, "a debilitating condition brought on by unrelieved, constant caring for a person with a chronic illness or dementia."

  

  

  

  

Move over, Aladdin! Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed their own version of a "magic carpet." It doesn't fly, and it won't take you over, sideways, and under on a ride through the Arabian night sky, but it can use tiny sensors to map people's walking patterns -- patterns that may then be analyzed to predict and even prevent falls.

 

Falls are the leading cause of injury death and the most common cause of hospital admissions for trauma among people 65 and over, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Each year, one in three older adults suffers a fall and risks lacerations, hip fractures, head injuries, and even death. More than 19,700 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries in 2008 -- and with the world's population aging every year, that number is likely to increase.

 

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Holiday preparations can be overwhelming for caregivers of family members. Many caregivers wish to hold on to holiday traditions, but their old traditions don't always fit with new realities.

One caregiver related that she used to love baking and having her house full of family and friends during the holidays. But the combined stress of trying to keep her husband's care schedule and preparing a holiday get-together was too much.

Experienced caregivers offer the following suggestions to help you and your family keep the holiday without the hassle.

• Invite guests to the home of the care receiver so that he or she will be comfortable and not have to be taken out.
• Suggest a potluck meal or ask guests to take responsibility for preparing a meal. Make clean-up easy by using festive paper plates and cups.
• Keep the number of guests manageable. Noise and hectic activitiy can be difficult for a person who is frail or confused.
• Talk to family and friends before they arrive. If the care receiver is confused, has trouble eating or has any behaviors that guests might not understand, explain the circumstances to them and tell them how to approach the situation.
• Take the hassle out of gift giving. Consider giving a gift of love such as an offer to reserve conversation time with a friend or a promise to attend a grandchild's school play. Caregivers who wish to purchase gifts should consider giving one gift per family, mail-ordering purchases or asking a neighbor or friend to help with shopping.
• If guests ask what they can bring, suggest gifts that really will help -- frozen prepared foods, an IOU for caregiving that offers you respite time, a trip to the beauty or barber shop for your care receiver, or an offer to run specific errands.

 

 

www.thetrainingcalendar.org. We also invite families and caregivers to view the trainings available in their area. www.thetrainingcalendar.org