The stress and time that caregiving requires can put a strain on a person's health. Family members, friend, and health care professionals can give you a break and help out when you cannot be there.
Find out what tasks family and friends are willing to help with. Keep the list of people you can call on with their telephone numbers and a list of things they will help you with.
A structured schedule and tasks that need to be taken care of are a big help to those that are helping. This provides a framework of what needs to be done, and when. Having this list ready ahead of time will also take the stress off of you when you are busy.
Make your own health your first priority. Numerous research studies have shown that caregiver stress can cause illness and premature death due to the stressors of caregiving. Investing in yourself is not selfish, it is necessary for the preservation of your own health and well-being. Taking care of you first will assure that you will be capable of meeting your loved one's needs later. Staying fit and healthy helps you cope, manage stress, and make it through the tough days when they come.
Be dedicated to a health routine that cares for you so that you can be there to care for your loved one. Schedule time for yourself. It's important to be involved doing things that you enjoy to refuel and re-energize.
Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Get plenty of rest. This will reduce your stress, give you more energy and improve your mood.
See your doctor regularly. Emotional stress and turmoil can be hard on your health.
Take time for yourself several times each week to recharge your batteries.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Who needs a Durable Power of Attorney?
You have the right in most situations to decide what medical care you receive. In order to assure that you maintain these rights if you are unable to communicate your wishes yourself, you can name a Durable Power of Attorney to make medical decisions for you.
Sometimes it is hard to know a patient’s wishes. For example,does your family know
if you want to be on a breathing machine if you are in a coma and will never wake up?You can make sure your doctors and others know your wishes by completing a living will and choosing someone to make decisions for you when you can not.
A Durable Power of Attorney allows you to give someone permission to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions yourself. The person you name to represent you may be called an agent, attorney-in-fact, health care proxy, patient advocate, or something similar, depending on where you live. It is unpleasant to think about being seriously ill or injured. However, it may be helpful to think about such situations before they occur. This way you can make your wants and beliefs known. You should talk to your family and your doctor about your beliefs
and the type of care that you do or do not want. What do you want your doctor to do
if you are in a coma? Do you want to go on living if you become terminally ill and
must be fed through a tube?
A Durable Power of Attorney is different from a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney allows you to have someone else make financial decisions on your behalf and to pay your bills, and manage your estate if you are currently incapable of handling these matters yourself.
There are several things that you can do to make your doctors aware of your wishes
about using life-sustaining treatment. You can appoint an agent (someone to make
decisions for you), you can prepare a living will, or you can do both.
The most important thing to do is to identify the person who will talk with your
doctor about your medical care if you are unable to do so. This person is your substitute decision maker, or agent. You need to talk to your agent about the care you would want if you were terminally ill or in a coma. Your agent can represent you if you cannot speak for yourself.
You may want to choose your agent now. You can choose whomever you want to serve as your agent — such as your spouse, or a parent, a son or daughter, or a friend. You can make your choice of an agent legally effective by signing a durable power of attorney form.
Your attorney can assist you drawing up this form. If you would like a free copy of an example of a Durable Power of Attorney form, simply e-mail Health Calls @ MRadwanski@healthcallshomehealth.com with your name and address for a copy to be sent to you.
Sometimes it is hard to know a patient’s wishes. For example,does your family know
if you want to be on a breathing machine if you are in a coma and will never wake up?You can make sure your doctors and others know your wishes by completing a living will and choosing someone to make decisions for you when you can not.
A Durable Power of Attorney allows you to give someone permission to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions yourself. The person you name to represent you may be called an agent, attorney-in-fact, health care proxy, patient advocate, or something similar, depending on where you live. It is unpleasant to think about being seriously ill or injured. However, it may be helpful to think about such situations before they occur. This way you can make your wants and beliefs known. You should talk to your family and your doctor about your beliefs
and the type of care that you do or do not want. What do you want your doctor to do
if you are in a coma? Do you want to go on living if you become terminally ill and
must be fed through a tube?
A Durable Power of Attorney is different from a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney allows you to have someone else make financial decisions on your behalf and to pay your bills, and manage your estate if you are currently incapable of handling these matters yourself.
There are several things that you can do to make your doctors aware of your wishes
about using life-sustaining treatment. You can appoint an agent (someone to make
decisions for you), you can prepare a living will, or you can do both.
The most important thing to do is to identify the person who will talk with your
doctor about your medical care if you are unable to do so. This person is your substitute decision maker, or agent. You need to talk to your agent about the care you would want if you were terminally ill or in a coma. Your agent can represent you if you cannot speak for yourself.
You may want to choose your agent now. You can choose whomever you want to serve as your agent — such as your spouse, or a parent, a son or daughter, or a friend. You can make your choice of an agent legally effective by signing a durable power of attorney form.
Your attorney can assist you drawing up this form. If you would like a free copy of an example of a Durable Power of Attorney form, simply e-mail Health Calls @ MRadwanski@healthcallshomehealth.com with your name and address for a copy to be sent to you.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Plan Ahead
If you or a loved one becomes sick and need home health care, what agency should be called?
If you or a loved one can't get around and do for yourself but can still stay at home, what kind of services do you want to help you with daily living?
Most families don't know this information until the unexpected happens. Plan for the unexpected now and share your plans with family members, NOW. Unplanned decisions are uninformed decisions, and in the heat of a crisis, they are rarely in anyone's best interest. Take proactive steps now:
• Create a "Rainy Day Folder" that places all of your directives in one place and share a copy with family members.
• Fill out a Living Will so everyone will know what you want regarding any end-of-life decisions
• Make a list of all your physicians and identify the hospital of your choice in the event of an emergency
• Choose a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney so a trusted loved one can make health care decisions when you're too sick to make them
• Choose a home health agency that will provide home health visits once in hospital or inpatient skilled care is no longer necessary. An agency that can provide private duty care if needed in addition to visits by therapists and nurses will help eliminate the need to deal with multiple agencies.
If you or a loved one can't get around and do for yourself but can still stay at home, what kind of services do you want to help you with daily living?
Most families don't know this information until the unexpected happens. Plan for the unexpected now and share your plans with family members, NOW. Unplanned decisions are uninformed decisions, and in the heat of a crisis, they are rarely in anyone's best interest. Take proactive steps now:
• Create a "Rainy Day Folder" that places all of your directives in one place and share a copy with family members.
• Fill out a Living Will so everyone will know what you want regarding any end-of-life decisions
• Make a list of all your physicians and identify the hospital of your choice in the event of an emergency
• Choose a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney so a trusted loved one can make health care decisions when you're too sick to make them
• Choose a home health agency that will provide home health visits once in hospital or inpatient skilled care is no longer necessary. An agency that can provide private duty care if needed in addition to visits by therapists and nurses will help eliminate the need to deal with multiple agencies.
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