Practical Caregiving advice

Easy, practical caregiving advice – what a concept!

Too often family caregivers are overloaded with information. Getting on the internet often just compounds the problem, as hundreds of resources pop up – some great; some awful; sometimes hard to tell the two apart.

Last week, we visited my husband’s cousin in the hospital. This lively, energetic, independent 76 year old woman got hit by a car walking out of the supermarket last weekend. She was in the cross-walk and had looked both ways. A distracted driver simply didn’t see her, slamming into her right in the crosswalk.

The good new – her roasted chicken was saved. The bad: her lower leg was broken in about 6 places.

Her doctor has drawn a picture of her leg on a white board on the wall. I'm sure she shared it with everyone who visited - probably up until her discharge. It gave her, and us, a way to visualize her injuries. Now, if he had also put her treatment plan there, we could have visualized that, too, and how we could help.

And that’s where my mind went as I read the easy, practical advice from David Solie today on his blog titled "Hospital Quicksand: words are not enough."

Solie suggests buying a small dry erase board and writing what’s going on during a hospital stay, and what should happen afterward. Keep it simple and clear. Help the person hospitalized – and their family – make sense of what is often a confusing, overwhelming experience.

I love the example of Ellen, who wrote on her mother’s board on discharge day:

1. New Medication > Reduces fluid build up > take one every day
2. Walking > strengthens heart > 15 minutes, twice a day
3. Follow up > family doctor > 2 weeks.

Simple. Clear. Easy. As Solie says, “The board costs four dollars. The marker two dollars. The ability to understand and preserve control: priceless.”

Help for caregivers of Alzheimer’s

I’ve had the privilege of viewing a series of DVDs this week presented by an incredible woman, Jolene Brackey. Not only do I recommend these training videos to families who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, but I truly wish that everyone who cares for someone with memory loss would view these videos.

Jolene started her career in interior design but quickly discovered that she was given a gift for working with people with dementia. Jolene’s gift is clearly not just helping those afflicted with the disease; she is also gifted with sharing what she’s learned in a interesting, humorous way.

Jolene shares how individuals with dementia can be warm, loving and wonderful, even as they seem to forget who you are. She helps family members see that mom or dad isn’t really forgetting them – just remembering them from earlier days, when they were young. Throughout the series of DVD, Jolene shares how to think and talk differently to people with dementia, as well as how to add joy to their lives and to the lives of the caregiver.

Check them out – they’re an investment that will pay back many times in return in peace of mind as you create moments of joy with your loved one – no matter how advanced the disease process.

Jolene’s website: www.enhancedmoments.com

Training DVDs: http://enhancedmoments.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22