National Family Caregiver Month - Senior Home Care Ocala, FL

November is National Family Caregiver Month. Have you appreciated your caregiver today?

There is an estimated 44 million Americans who, on a regular basis, take care of a friend of elderly parent/relative, with estimates that as much as 75 percent or much more of elder care is provided by informal caregivers.

Many of these caregivers take on the responsibility themselves, as if they?re alone, not asking for help. As a consequence, they suffer from a lot of stress that takes a toll on their very own physical, mental and emotional health. They may feel guilty for asking for help from others, for instance, feeling as if they were letting down a parent who has always been there for them when they needed them. But taking on all of the responsibility, together with parenting, their job, and other responsibilities and priorities they have, can turn into an unhealthy scenario for the caregiver and the person being cared for.

The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that 40 to 70 percent of family caregivers show clinically significant symptoms of depression. The Center on Aging Society adds that 1 in 10 family caregivers reports that their responsibilities have caused their physical health to worsen.

A study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association back in 1999 reported that because the stress of caregiving is so significant, elderly spouses who take on the caregiving role for their loved one were 63% more likely to die in the next four year compared to those who don?t take on the role of caregiving!

However, caring for a loved one or friend could also be a very uplifting and rewarding experience. To be most effective, caregivers need breaks on a regular basis, or respites, from their caregiving role.? A respite might be as simple as a day away to enjoy time with their friends or even just an afternoon by themselves so they can run errands or do whatever they need to get done. Or it can be a bit more significant and the caregiver can take a vacation. It doesn?t matter, just as long as the caregiver is taking time for themselves on a regular basis!

Assistance for Caregivers

Caregivers can look to a number of sources to ask for help:

• Other family members and friends, who can share the responsibility
• Professional in-home senior care providers, who can fill in as needed
• Churches and other volunteer organizations
• Nursing homes or adult day care centers
• Senior centers and area agencies on aging
• Websites that provide caregivers guidance, forums and links to resources

Often, family and friends want to assist. They just don?t know how. Caregivers could make it easy on them-and themselves-by having in mind a list of things that need to be done, like preparing meals, picking up a few items at the grocery shop, going on a stroll with the senior or staying with him or her every so often.

Top medical societies have recognized the health risks related with caregiving and have produced practice guidelines to identify and serve those at risk. The American Academy of Family Physicians, for example, has published ?A Practical Guide to Caring for Caregivers.? It provides screening tools for assessing the degree of a caregiver?s stress level. The manual suggests, ?If the caregiver does not receive respite frequently, physicians ought to give them permission to ask for help and help them in finding sources for assistance.?

Caregivers can protect their own well being and be of greater service to these they care for by practicing the following:

• Exercise-make certain to incorporate it inside your schedule for added energy.
• Get plenty of sleep-eight hours is recommended for most people.
• Eat regular, well-balanced meals.
• Maintain contact with buddies and remain involved in hobbies and social activities.
• Join a assistance group to reinforce the idea which you aren?t alone.
• Visit your doctor regularly.
• Take time off for yourself, and unwind.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.

Source: http://centralfloridaseniorhomecare.com/national-family-caregiver-month/

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