"Fall Back"
Caregiver Tips©
October 2005

*Self Care Focus: Fall Back
**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

Here in California the nights have become chilly and the trees are starting to drop leaves. It's Fall in the northern hemisphere and the change in seasons is a great hint on how to approach caregiving and self care.

Nature has cycles that provide for renewal, growth, harvest, and rest. Fall is a time to celebrate the harvest of good work, your great heart, and the love that you hold for your care receiver. What better chance do we have as caregivers to pause and reflect on the joy that we have.

"Fall Back" in love, into your joy, or just into a routine that provides you with more of what you need. Just as the leaves change color and fall to the ground... it is a time to harvest what is working. It is also a time to pause and reflect on changes that will make caregiving more rewarding and a positive experience for everyone involved.

Take some time to enjoy this time of pause and reflection.

Back to Contents

Words of Encouragement

I read and enjoy books and there always seems to be a theme with my reading. This last month has been one of gratitude and noticing. I have been reflecting on the last year as a widow.

I will always be glad that I had 32 years with my husband. I also recognize the great examples and life lessons that he expressed with his everyday life.

What better memorial or memory that the realization that being his caregiver was the truest expression of love and care. While it wasn't always romance and roses... I choose to remember the sweet and warm moments. Isn't that the true value of memories... we can be selective.

Remember more of the sweet and let the bitter wash down the drain.

Back to Contents

Book Award

Jimmy, a caregiver from Ohio, will be sent Ask and You Shall Succeed, by Ken D. Foster.

Enjoy the read.

Back to Contents

Reminders

Halloween Safety Month
Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
800-331-2020
info@preventblindness.org
www.preventblindness.org

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 18749
Denver, CO 80218-0749
303-839-1852
mainoffice@ncadv.org
www.ncadv.org

Healthy Lung Month
American Lung Association
61 Broadway 6th Floor
New York, NY 10006
(800) LUNG-USA
info@lungusa.org
www.lungusa.org

National Dental Hygiene Month
American Dental Hygienists' Association
444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3400
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 440-8900
(800) 243-ADHA
media@adha.net
www.adha.org>

National Family Sexuality Education Month
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
434 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 541-7800
education@ppfa.org
www.plannedparenthood.org

National Lupus Awareness Month
Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20036
(888) 385-8787
(202) 349-1156 Fax
info@lupus.org
www.lupus.org

National Physical Therapy Month
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1488
(703) 684-2782 x3248
public-relations@apta.org
www.apta.org

National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
Spina Bifida Association of America
4590 MacArthur Boulevard, NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20007-4226
(800) 621-3141
(202) 944-3285
sbaa@sbaa.org
www.sbaa.org

Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
International Rett Syndrome Association
9121 Piscataway Road, Suite 2B
Clinton, MD 20735
(800) 818-RETT
irsa@rettsyndrome.org
www.rettsyndrome.org

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month
First Candle/SIDS Alliance
1314 Bedford Avenue, Suite 210
Baltimore, MD 21208
(800) 221-7437
(410) 653-8226
info@firstcandle.org
www.firstcandle.org

"Talk About Prescriptions" Month
National Council on Patient Information and Education
4915 St. Elmo Avenue, Suite 505
Bethesda, MD 20814-6082
(301) 656-8565
ncpie@ncpie.info
www.talkaboutrx.org

National Glaucoma Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173-5611
(800) 331-2020
info@preventblindness.org
www.preventblindness.org

Clean Air Month
American Lung Association
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006
(800) LUNG-USA
info@lungusa.org
www.lungusa.org

Health Literacy Month
Health Literacy Consulting
31 Highland Street, Suite 201
Natick, MA 01760
(508) 653-1199
(508) 450-9492 Fax
helen@healthliteracy.com
www.healthliteracymonth.org

National Medical Librarians Month
Medical Library Association
65 East Wacker Place, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 419-9094 x11
(312) 419-8950 Fax
info@mlahq.org
www.mlanet.org/resources/nml-month/index.html

National Orthodontic Health Month
American Association of Orthodontists
401 North Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63141
(314) 993-1700
info@aaortho.org
www.braces.org

Let's Talk Month
Advocates for Youth
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 419-3420
questions@advocatesforyouth.org
www.advocatesforyouth.org>

National Brain Injury Awareness Month
Brain Injury Association of America
105 North Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 761-0750
publicrelations@biausa.org
www.biausa.org

National Liver Awareness Month
American Liver Foundation
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603
New York, NY 10038-4810
(800) 465-4837
webmail@liverfoundation.org
www.liverfoundation.org

National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
National Down Syndrome Society
666 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
(800) 221-4602
info@ndss.org
www.ndss.org

Children's Health Month
Office of the Administrator
Office of Children's Health Protection
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mail Code 1107A
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 564-2188
(202) 564-2733 Fax
www.childrenshealth.gov

Don't miss the November 2005 issue of "Caregiver Tips©" with tips and information on You’re Welcome.

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

Back to Contents

Messages for Caregivers

There is a website dedicated to caregivers and patients with lung cancer. You can sign up and receive updates on treatment options, news, and developments. My husband's final illness was lung cancer so I'm glad to share this new resource:

Lung Cancer Focus

Back to Contents

So Good I Want To Share It

Start by Being Happy

I find that it's impossible to not be happy after working with his program. It's a great habit to have!

Start by being happy right now.

I have found that my life just gets better as I work through the program. The program is as simple as it sounds. You have the choice to feel good or to feel bad. The CD's show you how you can use simple techniques to feel good.

Don't take my word, get this program, John has a money back guarantee.

Back to Contents

Internet Sites 2Good2Miss

Save up to 40% when you shop the Fall Savings event at drugstore.com! (Ends 11-4-05)

Back to Contents

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.

Back to Contents

Self Care Tip

Alzheimer's and Challenging Elders: Behavioral Strategies
By Jacqueline Marcell

Caregiving of any kind is challenging enough, but when an adult child has to care for a difficult elderly parent, it's one of the hardest things they'll ever do. I know--I went through a year of heartache with my obstinate father before I figured it out. I had been the light of his life, but when I had to step in to help him care for my ailing mother, he turned on me, doing and saying things I would have never dreamed he could do.

ELDERCARE LESSONS

Having no experience with eldercare--I just didn't get it. I thought that my father's nasty temper was just the stress of caring for my mother for so long--which it was, but it was also the beginning of dementia, namely Alzheimer's, which intermittently distorted his thinking.

When my father threw two little worn out hand towels at me, screaming and swearing at me for throwing them away, I was stunned and cried my heart out. With the knowledge I have now I'd say, "This seems illogical--this seems irrational. Oh, red flag--it IS illogical and irrational", and I'd know to get him evaluated by a geriatric dementia specialist right away. I'd know not to waste time with his regular doctors who weren't trained to uncover the earliest stage of dementia. Instead, a whole year passed before both of my parents' Alzheimer's was properly diagnosed and treated.

ALZHEIMER'S CAN BE SLOWED DOWN

Stage One Alzheimer's is so subtle and intermittent, it comes and goes, and statistically families and many doctors who are not dementia specialists ignore it for several years, thinking that the short-term memory loss, confusion, irritability and odd behaviors are just a normal part of aging and untreatable senility.

When your loved one asks you the same question over and over, or gives you incorrect directions in the area they've lived in for many years, or has sudden mood changes, or has any behavior that you find yourself questioning--it's time to have them tested.

Dementia can't be stopped, nor is there a cure, but the symptoms can be slowed down with medication: Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl, and for later stage, Memantine. Keeping a person in Stage One (typically 2-4 years) longer can save a family a lot of heartache, not to mention money, because Stage Two (2-10 years) requires full-time care. Stage Three, the end, typically lasts 1-3 years.

BALANCING BRAIN CHEMISTRY

After the dementia specialist slowed my parents' dementia down, the (often-present) depression was medically treated, as well as my father's aggression. Once their brain chemistries were properly balanced, I was able to implement some behavioral strategies. I learned to use rewards and discovered that the offer of ice cream worked the best to get my father in the shower, even as he swore a blue streak at me that he had just taken one, yeah, a week ago!

DISTRACTION

Instead of using logic, reasoning or arguing, I calmly learned to used distraction and redirection. When my father would get in the broken-record mode and harp about something ridiculous like we shouldn't be using the garbage disposal, I'd say, "Oh, Dad, did I tell you what Aunt Rose said the other day?? Or, "The laundry is dry--here, help me fold everything before it wrinkles." Or, "I heard there was some bad weather near Uncle Roy's--let's turn on the news."

LONG TERM MEMORY STILL GOOD

I also discovered that even though my father's short-term memory was damaged, the long-term memory was still quite good. I capitalized on it by asking questions about the past to distract him. "Dad, they're thinking of going to the moon again. Where were you when that happened?" Or, "It's nearly your anniversary. How did you meet Mom again?" Or, "What happened the day I was born? The blessed event!"

VALIDATE FEELINGS

Then I learned to validate feelings and to live in the reality of what was real for my parents. When my father would dramatically insist that something had happened, that I knew hadn't, instead of correcting him on the facts--I'd ask him to tell me more about it. I realized it wasn't as important to be accurate, as it was to make him feel good about what was true for him at that moment.

Then one time, instead of crying about what this horrible disease was doing to my parents, I knew what to do when Dad declared, "Guess what? I got a part time job today!? I said, "Really, what are you doing, Dad?" He grinned from ear to ear, "I'm in charge of taking care of Clark Gable's horses!" Mom nodded, "Yes, honey, we're going to have to get some hay." Even though I knew they wouldn't remember it in the morning, it warmed my heart to see them beaming with such pride when I hugged him and said, "Oh my gosh, that's so wonderful, Dad. I am so proud of you--what an incredible honor!"

###

Jacqueline Marcell is a national speaker on eldercare and the author of, "Elder Rage", a Book-of-the-Month Club selection being considered for a feature film. Over fifty endorsements include: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin and Dr. Dean Edell. Jacqueline also hosts a radio program heard worldwide on: http://www.wsradio.com/copingwithcaregiving . For more information: http://www.ElderRage.com

Permission is granted to publish all/part of this article free of charge as long as: the author's byline is included, the links are live, and the author is notified: J.Marcell@cox.net or 949-975-1012.

Read more tips at "Caregiver Tips" the CareSsentials' Blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Back to Contents

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

Back to Contents

Take care and don't forget to take a hint from nature,

Send Us Email

Do you know a caregiver? Share the care by printing our newsletter to share with your family, friends and business associates or send them a link to subscribe.

If you would like to use the content of this newsletter please send
a email: mailto:info@caressentials.com

Sign up for "Caregiver Tips?", our free monthly ezine, and enter a drawing to win a copy of a selected book on caregiving.

Yes, I want a free monthly copy of "Caregiver Tips?" sent to me by email. Sign me up! E-mail Your First Name Your Last Name Your Telephone Caregiver Type Privacy Policy: We do not sell, rent, trade, give away, or share email addresses or other contact information. Your information is safe and secure, and will only be used by CareSsentials as indicated.

Can't find what you are looking for? Try Google Search!