Caregiver Tips April 2005Spring Forward - Are Your Needs Being Met?
Contents
*Self Care Focus: Spring Forward - Are Your Needs Being Met?
**Words of Encouragement
***Book Award
****Reminders
*****Messages for Caregivers
******So Good I Want To Share It
*******Internet Sites 2Good2Miss
********Thank You
********* Self Care Tip
********** Share A Tip
Self Care Focus: Spring Forward - Are Your Needs Being Met?By Jo Cavanaugh
The buds and blooms of spring are a consistent reminder of the renewal of life. We can see how life continues in its cycle after the rest or lack of activity in winter.
Spring as a renewal is a time to take stock of life and provide support for your own renewal. Are you getting your needs met?
Maslow, in the 1950's provided a way to determine where you are in personal satisfaction based on how your needs were being met. He detailed five stages of needs:
1. Physiological Needs - These needs are the basic requirements or biological requirements for life that include food, water, air, sleep, and sex. When these needs are not met we are in pain or unhealthy. We will do just about anything to satisfy these needs.
2. Safety Needs - We need to feel safe and protected in our world. When we are concerned for our safety, we cannot think about beauty, love, or service to others.
3. Love or Belonging Needs - We need to feel that we are loved and accepted. We need to feel that we are part of a group or that we belong.
4. Esteem Needs - We need to feel self-esteem for our work, life and dreams. We also need recognition and attention from others that is respectful and demonstrates their feelings of esteem for us.
5. Self-Actualization - When we have taken care of the first four needs, then we seek knowledge, beauty, and expression of our talents and creativity. We are interested in service for others and also a connection to spirit or God.
When we understand where we are in taking care of our needs it becomes easy to support others. Spring forward and determine how you can take care of what you need. Getting your needs met makes you a better caregiver.
Understanding that everyone has the same needs provides a way to understand how people are motivated. If your care receiver is in pain then you can't expect them to be loving and filled with esteem. Needs don't work that way. Needs are like a foundation. As each level of need is met, we are able to consider the next level of need.
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Words of Encouragement
10 Spring Cleaning Tips For Your Kitchen
By Lara Velez
The words "spring cleaning" can make the neatest person cringe. They mean more work. As if cleaning all year long wasn't enough. Spring cleaning is more than just cleaning...it is deep cleaning. Something that most people do not have time for all year long. Since my expertise is cooking, I have decided to focus on spring cleaning and dirt build up prevention tips for the kitchen....
Baking soda or club soda will clean and shine stainless steel sinks easily. Simply apply directly to surface and scrub a dub dub.
To Remove stubborn water spots from a stainless sink scrub with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or vinegar.
To freshen up your "white" porcelain sinks, place paper towels across the bottom of your sink and saturate with bleach. Let sit over night and rinse.
After you've cleaned your refrigerator and freezer place an open box of baking soda in the back of each to help absorb odors for about a month.
A few drops vanilla extract on a piece of cotton placed in the refrigerator will also help eliminate odors.
Wipe refrigerator with vinegar after cleaning to help prevent mildew.
Change your refrigerator light bulbs...that way you never have to worry about them burning out during the year.
To clean baked-on food from a cooking pan, put a dryer sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight then sponge clean. The anti-static agents help weaken the bond between the food and the pan and the fabric softeners will soften the baked-on food.
To clean burnt or scorched pans, sprinkle pans liberally with baking soda, adding just enough water to moisten. Let stand over night.
To get those stubborn stains off of the inside of you microwave; spray liberally with two parts water and one part bleach, heat on high for 20 seconds and let stand for about an hour. The stains should come right off. For really stubborn stains heat for 30 seconds and let sit for 2 - 3 hours.
About the Author: My name is Lara Velez and I am the Editor-in-Chief of The Recipe Finder - Online cooking magazine - http://www.therecipefinder.com. I am also a wife and mother of two. I enjoy cooking, reading, scrap booking, and being a wife and mom. Please feel free to email me any time: RecipeFinderMail@aol.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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Book Award
Marta, a caregiver from California, will be sent Ask and You Shall Succeed, by Ken D. Foster. Enjoy the read.
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Reminders
Don't forget that April is:
Cancer Control Month
American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(800) ACS-2345
(404) 320-3331
www.cancer.org
Counseling Awareness Month
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304-3300
(800) 347-6647
(703) 823?9800
aca@counseling.org
www.counseling.org
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Awareness Month
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
P.O. Box 170864
Milwaukee, WI 53217
(888) 964-2001
iffgd@iffgd.org
www.aboutibs.org
National Autism Awareness Month
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814-3067
(800) 3?AUTISM
(301) 657-0881
conference@autism-society.org
www.autism-society.org
National Occupational Therapy Month
The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
4720 Montgomery Lane
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
(301) 652-2682
(800) 377-8555 TDD
(301) 652-7711 Fax
praota@aota.org
www.aota.org
National Youth Sports Safety Month
National Youth Sports Safety Foundation
One Beacon Street, Suite 3333
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 367-6677
(617) 722-9999 Fax
nyssf@aol.com
www.nyssf.org
Women's Eye Health and Safety Month
Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173-5611
(800) 331-2020
(847) 843-8458 Fax
info@preventblindness.org
www.preventblindness.org
National Donate Life Month
Division of Transplantation, OSP, HRSA
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Parklawn Building, Room 16C-17
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
(301) 443-7577
ask@hrsa.gov
www.organdonor.gov/donatelife.htm
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025
(877) 739-3895
(717) 909-0714 Fax
resources@nsvrc.org
www.nsvrc.org
Sports Eye Safety Month
American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 7424
San Francisco, CA 94120
(415) 447-0213
(415) 561-8533 Fax
eyemd@aao.org
www.aao.org
Foot Health Awareness Month
American Podiatric Medical Association
9312 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 581-9200
(301) 530-2752 Fax
ajbrewer@apma.org
www.apma.org/pubrelat.html
Candlelight Vigil for Eating Disorders Awareness
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
Box 7
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 831-3438
anad20@aol.com
www.anad.org
National Facial Protection Month
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Association of Orthodontists
9700 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847) 678-6200
inquiries@aaoms.org
www.aaoms.org
Cesarean Awareness Month
International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc.
1304 Kingsdale Avenue
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(800) 686-ICAN
info@ican-online.org
www.ican-online.org
Don't miss the May 2005 issue of "Caregiver Tips" with tips and information
on "The Jolly Month of May."
iBALANCE? Teleclasses
Are you longing for the time before caregiving? What to find a way to get
back to your dreams and goals? Enroll in iBALANCE? a four-part teleclass
designed to help you take control of your life.
Meet once a week on the telephone and give yourself an hour to clear away the
guilt and stress of caregiving. Develop tools and tricks to become more
comfortable with caregiving. Learn life skills that will change your life for
the better.
Click this link to get more information about teleclasses:
Get More Teleclass Information Here
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Messages for Caregivers
Letting Go of Resentments
By Steve Goodier
A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin
sons. The boys worked for their father in the department store he
owned and, when he died, they took over the store.
Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of
the brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside
with a customer. When he returned, the money was gone.
He asked his brother, "Did you see that dollar bill on the cash
register?" His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept
probing and questioning. He would not let it alone. "Dollar bills just
don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen it!" There was
subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment set
in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They
refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work
together and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store.
For twenty years hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their
families and to the community.
Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped
in front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk, "How long
have you been here?"
The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer
said, "I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding
the rails' and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for
three days. I came into this store from the back door and saw a dollar
bill on the cash register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All
these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much
money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness."
The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this
middle-aged man. "Would you please go next door and tell that same
story to the man in the store?" he said. Then the man was even more
amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked very much alike,
embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the store.
After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment
that divided them came down.
It is so often the little things - like resentments - that finally
divide people. And the solution, of course, is to let them go. There
is really nothing particularly profound about it. But for fulfilling
and lasting relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry
around bitterness and you may be surprised at how much energy you have
left for building bonds with those you love.
Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love
and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com
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So Good I Want To Share It
As a caregiver, I'm always looking for ways to save time and money. I know you are too.
Here is a service that offers catalogs so you can shop at home. Enjoy the freedom of shopping from your kitchen table or comfortable chair.
Click here for Free Catalogs and Magazines from ShopAtHome.com
You can receive catalogs at home at no cost to reduce shopping time and hassles.
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Internet Sites 2Good2Miss
There is a saying, "Work smarter, not harder." One way to do that is to get the best equipment and tools to help with caregiving. Have you shopped for assistive equipment or support devices to help with caregiving?
1-800-Wheelchair
Take a few minutes to browse this site. You will be amazed at the equipment and devices that are available to help you and your care receiver have more time and a better quality of life.
 
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Thank You
I also want to thank those that have sent an email with a
request for information. I enjoy hearing from you and hope
that I can provide some support or help when you need it. Please
continue to send me your comments and requests.
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Self Care Tip
You are not alone with your caregiving. One in four households is providing care for someone over the age of 55. Deal with the changes, frustrations and stress by talking about your cares, concerns, and fears. Let's Talk
Sign up for a complimentary half hour of conversation and support. Spring forward into action to provide more support, comfort, and time for you. Schedule some time to talk right now.
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Share A Tip
Share a tip and receive a CareSsentials Mirror/Sewing Kit.
Have a great tip that you want to share on self care, coping,
or humor that has helped you through the day?
Share the tip with us and receive a self-care gift for your
kindness and generosity.
Email your tips to the link below and please include your mailing
address so I can mail you the mirror/sewing kit.
Share a Tip
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Take care and don't forget to give yourself a gift this month,
Jo Cavanaugh
Send Us Email
We race to win, but at what price?
Driven by the threat of time,
we wonder why we feel so empty
at the end of action-filled days. -- Diana Hunt
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