» caregivers advice http://blog.caringbridge.org Thu, 16 May 2013 19:14:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Caring for Someone with Special Needs? Here’s Some Help. http://blog.caringbridge.org/care-for-special-needs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=care-for-special-needs http://blog.caringbridge.org/care-for-special-needs/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:44:47 +0000 Tom McNulty http://blog.caringbridge.org/?p=780 Caring for a family member with special needs can be a lifetime commitment. Whether a stroke or other major health event causes a disability, or a condition is diagnosed while one is an infant, taking care of individuals with special needs comes with a unique array of challenges. While there are no shortcuts or magical solutions, CaringBridge would like to share five suggestions that we hope will make your life easier. 1. Learn Everything You Can. Research the specific condition and the caregiving needs it creates. You can ask special needs professionals about how to accommodate your loved one’s challenges, [...]

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]]> http://blog.caringbridge.org/care-for-special-needs/feed/ 2 Self-Care for Caregivers: Tips on Balancing Your Own Needs with Those You Care For http://blog.caringbridge.org/self-care-for-caregivers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=self-care-for-caregivers http://blog.caringbridge.org/self-care-for-caregivers/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:09:35 +0000 Kaitlyn Teabo http://blog.caringbridge.org/?p=765 Taking care of someone else is a selfless act of love, but it can easily become overwhelming. If you are a caregiver, you know how easy it is to put the needs of the person for whom you’re helping before your own. While it’s rewarding, it may also lead to illness, frustration, depression or exhaustion, any of which may undermine your effectiveness. Some Great Ways to Take Care of Yourself One of the most important, and often neglected, tasks of a caregiver is to take care of yourself. Your physical, emotional and mental health is vital for the well-being of [...]

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]]> http://blog.caringbridge.org/self-care-for-caregivers/feed/ 1 Finding Long-Distance Caregiving a Challenge? These Tips Will Help. http://blog.caringbridge.org/long-distance-caregiving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=long-distance-caregiving http://blog.caringbridge.org/long-distance-caregiving/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:33:20 +0000 Brent Swanson http://blog.caringbridge.org/?p=752 Your heart may be in the right place, but until it’s possible for someone to be in two places at once, there will be times when caregiving from afar is the only realistic option. How you manage the long-distance caregiving situation will determine how well it works. Here are some suggestions to improve long-distance caregiving. Get to Know Key People. If you suddenly find yourself caring for an ill or elderly parent from a different city or state, you’ll feel better about their circumstances if you’ve met their caregivers, neighbors and friends. Is your parent in an assisted living facility or [...]

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]]> http://blog.caringbridge.org/long-distance-caregiving/feed/ 3 Great Ways to Help You Cover Long-Term Caregiving Costs http://blog.caringbridge.org/cost-of-caregiving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cost-of-caregiving http://blog.caringbridge.org/cost-of-caregiving/#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:06:25 +0000 Brent Swanson http://blog.caringbridge.org/?p=736 Whether you’re taking care of an elderly parent or anyone else with ongoing care needs, expenses — often very significant ones — add up quickly. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, Americans devote nearly $375 billion a year in time and money to care for older adults — which is nearly twice as much as what we spend on all homecare and nursing home services combined. The day-to-day costs of caregiving and the financial worries they may create can easily add to your emotional load and stress level. Many of us at CaringBridge have been there, and now we’re [...]

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]]> http://blog.caringbridge.org/cost-of-caregiving/feed/ 2 Hospitals Can Be Dangerous – Tips to Protect Your Loved Ones From Infections and Accidents. http://blog.caringbridge.org/hospital-safety-tips/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hospital-safety-tips http://blog.caringbridge.org/hospital-safety-tips/#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:58:45 +0000 Karen Curtiss http://blog.caringbridge.org/?p=671 Thanks to a wealth of great medical websites, we’ve never had access to more knowledge about health conditions and treatment choices. However, the average caretaker or advocate knows much less about potentially-harmful complications known as “Hospital Acquired Conditions,” or “HACs” that can be dangerous — even deadly. National Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 3-9 and shines a light on the most common HACs and how to prevent them. Most hospitals set this week aside for special training for their doctors and nurses. They also reach out to their local communities with educational events that cover hospital safety tips like the [...]

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