Tag handling stress

Online resources for managing stress

0 comments By Stefanie, family care specialist Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , November 10th, 2011 @ 9:00 am

As our second week of National Caregivers Month comes to a close, I want to thank you all for your comments and stories – and point you to more resources available online to help our caregivers manage stress and find help.

800.272.3900 24/7 Helpline24/7 Helpline 800.272.3900, it’s a great resource for when you need to talk to someone who will understand what you’re going through – even if it’s 3 a.m., I urge you to call us and let us help you.

Message boards and live chat – you can immediately connect with people online when you’re feeling confused about a caregiving issue or stressed about your situation. http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_message_boards_lwa.asp Continue reading “Online resources for managing stress” »

What should your caregiver do if they are feeling stressed? People with Alz weigh in.

0 comments By Stefanie, family care specialist Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , November 9th, 2011 @ 9:30 am

Thanks to Angie for sharing her excellent blog with us yesterday. I hope you’ve been finding our tips and advice during National Caregivers Month helpful. Today, we have more input from one of our local Early Stage support groups about the topic of caregiver stress management. We asked them: What should your caregiver do if they are feeling stressed?Early Stage Insights

What should your caregiver do if they are feeling stressed?

“Know when to say ‘leave me alone, I need time, I don’t want to talk about it right now.’”

“Be alone sometimes – take a break or a time out.”

“Sometimes, just don’t ask questions.”

“Don’t ask ‘Why’d you do that?’ if you already know”

“Talk to me about it. Lets work on it together.”

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

“The person that asks the question controls the conversation. Have an awareness of what’s going on, knowing how you’re feeling, knowing you don’t have to answer a question if you don’t want to.”

Don’t forget to share your experiences here, on our Facebook page or at www.alz.org/nadam. We want to hear from you!

 

“I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.”

1 comment By Angie, family caregiver, Stefanie, family care specialist Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , November 8th, 2011 @ 10:12 am

It’s National Caregivers Month and we’re on a roll talking about common caregiving challenges. Many of you know Angie, who blogs about her experience caring for her husband who has Early Stage, Younger Onset Alzheimer’s.

Her latest blog is a great example of this week’s topic, caregiver stress management:

In my support group we sometimes talk about the often heard phrase, “take time to take care of you.” The biggest questions for me are: How? When? Between work, church, family and John; I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.

But the conversation made me think, do I take care of myself? I’ve tried different things: a gratitude journal, meditation, the gym, food, drink. All had their pros and cons. As a writer, I liked the idea of the journal. The premise was simple, just jot down five things a day. Seemed easy enough, but after a few weeks I was circling around the same things. I couldn’t keep it fresh, so I got bored. Continue reading ““I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.”” »

How are you making time for yourself?

1 comment By News and notes, Stefanie, family care specialist Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , November 7th, 2011 @ 10:28 am

We are continuing to celebrate National Caregivers Month with a month full of helpful advice and stories about our amazing caregivers and the people with Alzheimer’s they love. This week, we are focusing on STRESS, which is an important topic for every caregiver.

In order to be the best caregiver for your loved one, you have to take care of your physical and emotional health first. Given this week’s topic, I thought it appropriate to re-visit a blog entry I wrote a few weeks ago about finding ways to de-stress during your day, even as caregiving seems to take up every single available minute:

“If one more person tells me that I need to make time for myself, I will puke!”

“As a caregiver, it is so important that you take care of yourself.” That is a very true statement, and one which we utter frequently to those folks who are dedicated to caring for loved ones with dementia. Recently when I said this, a caregiver responded with “If one more person tells me that I need to make time for myself, I will puke!” Several other caregivers nodded their heads in agreement. SO, will I stop saying it?

Continue reading “How are you making time for yourself?” »

Page 1 of 11

Copyright © 2013 Alzheimer's Association. All Rights Reserved.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of the Alzheimer’s Association. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Chapter Headquarters
Alzheimer's Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada
1060 La Avenida, Mountain View, CA 94043 Phone 650.962.8111

National Headquarters
Alzheimer's Association National Office 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 Alzheimers and Dementia Blog – Alzheimers Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada

Built on Notes Blog Core
Powered by WordPress