Caregiver Tips

Tips for Family Caregivers

Are you a stressed caregiver of a family member or friend? Are your patients or clients in need of aid in their daily care provision? Here are some things to keep in mind while caring for your loved one:

1. Know your limits as a caregiver. Give yourself a break and take some time off once in a while to do things that you enjoy.

2. Confide in others. Talk to friends or other family members about your feelings. Don’t let your emotions get bottled up. Join a caregiver support group that can help you deal with the stresses of being a caregiver.

3. Know your rights as a caregiver and learn as much as you can about your relative or family member’s illness or condition. Communicate with doctors and other healthcare providers often. The more you know, the better care you’ll be able to provide for your loved one.

4. Recognize the signs of depression and seek help if and when you need it. Caregiving can be mentally, emotionally and physically taxing. It’s important to take care of yourself before trying to take care of someone else.

By Emily Mullin
July 21, 2011

Medicare recipients should be aware of Preventative Services that they may be entitled to, many of which could be life saving:

"Welcome to Medicare" visit (includes a referral for an ultrasound screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm for eligible beneficiaries)
Adult Immunization--Influenza Immunization, Pneumococcal Vaccination, Hepatitis B Vaccination
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Screening Mammography
Screening Pap Test and Pelvic Examination
Prostate Cancer Screening
Cardiovascular Disease Screening
Diabetes Screening
Glaucoma Screening
Bone Mass Measurement
Diabetes Self-Management, Supplies, and Services
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Smoking Cessation

Facts About Alzheimer's Disease

An estimated 5.4 million American's have Alzheimer's disease.
Another American develops Alzheimer's disease every 69 seconds.
In 2010, 14.9 million family and friends provided 17 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's to American society will total $183 billion in 2011.
Deaths from Alzheimer's increased 66 percent between 2000 and 2008, and Alzheimer's is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression.
Taken from: Alzheimer's Association.

Safety Tip

Safety tip for seniors: Remove unsecured rugs because they are easy to trip over and pose a fall risk!

Positive Aging

Longevity has benefits like surviving the adversities of life, gaining experience, and maybe even becoming wise. Research shows older people are happier overall and focus on more positive things than negative. This is thought to be because youth tends to focus on achievements like building a career. Older people often shift their focus to emotionally based activities like spending more time with family and friends and having the knowledge of your life achievements. It’s also helpful to stay active.

Beliefs can change how we experience the world. Beliefs can also have an effect on aging. For example, in 1975 Levy studied people who had positive and negative attitudes about aging. She recorded who agreed and disagreed with the statement:
“Things keep getting worse as I get older.” She later checked the mortality data (in 1998) and found that people who had positive attitudes about aging had lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with negative attitudes toward aging.

Counseling and Geriatric Case Management

"There is no old age. There is,

as there always was, just you."

-Carol Matthau



Serving the SF East Bay Area