Caregivers' eResource June 2023

About The Caregiver eResource

It takes a village to care for the frail and the ailing among us. The Caregivers e-Resource connects caregivers to this 'village'. Every month we feature activities, products and services that guide caregivers on where they can get the appropriate support for their context.

The Caregiver's e-Resource offers a wide range of resources, including articles, tips and advice on caregiving.

It also provides support groups and forums where caregivers can connect with one another and with experts.

How you can plug in:

Advertise products and services that are relevant to caregivers here. Circulate this newsletter in your networks.

Letting us know of activities and events happening that would benefit caregivers.

THE DREAM TEAM

Rhoda Wagaki - Editorial

Betty Murithi - Editorial

Alex Kamweru - Photography

Judy Thurubi - Design

Saimah Kermali - Design

Ndindi Nganga - Columnist

Musqan Butt - Columnist

Rhoda Wagaki Founding Director, Suruvi -Care for Caregivers, Psychological Counselor, KCPA Accredited.

Hey there, Care friends!

You know what they say: Everything affects everything. And when it comes to caregiving, that's definitely true. Taking care of someone else it's not only about them, the person in your care. It is about caring for yourself too. That's what self-care is about – Your physical, mental and emotional well-being is linked to the care you are able to provide.

So, let's take a look at some examples of how everything really does affect everything.

Let's say you ' re feeling stressed out and overwhelmed because you haven't paralleled self-care to patient care. That stress can make you short-tempered and less patient with the person you ' re caring for. On the other hand, if you prioritise decongestion activities for yourself eg take the time to exercise, meditate, or just relax for a few minutes, you'll be in a much better frame of mind to provide care with patience, love, and kindness.

Remember to drink water and get some sun, you are basically a house plant with emotions.

Another example is the impact of your environment on your well-being. If your home is cluttered and messy, it can create a sense of chaos and make it harder for you to relax and recharge. But if you take the time to tidy up and create a calming or uplifting atmosphere, you'll feel more at ease, which can help you be a better caregiver.

So, remember care friends, everything really does affect everything. By taking care of yourself, you ' re not only helping yourself, but you ' re also helping the person you ' re caring for. So, take a few minutes each day to prioritize your own well-being – you'll be amazed at how much of a difference it can make!

Cheers

Reach out for self-care support.

I'm serious, call!

+254 719 571770

WHO IS A CAREGIVER?

We always get the surprising look on people's faces when they find out that they actually are caregivers. And let's be honest, the healthcare industry in Kenya and Internationally, keep updating their terms which sometimes is hard to keep up with!

Here at Suruvi, we are heavy on communication it's our mission to keep our readers informed.

We have a glossary of terms of who a caregiver is on the next page. Check to see where you belong, you may be suprised.

WHO IS A CAREGIVER?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a caregiver refers to any individual, including family members, friends, or volunteers, who provides assistance, care, and support to a person in need. This can include individuals who care for family members with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or age-related conditions. Caregivers often assist with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and medication management. They also provide emotional support, and companionship, and help coordinate healthcare services. Caregivers play a crucial role in supporting the well-being and quality of life of individuals who require assistance due to their health or functional limitations.

We shall list five types of family caregivers in Kenya:

Primary Caregivers: These are individuals who provide the majority of care to the person they are caring for.

Secondary Caregivers: These are individuals who provide additional support to the primary caregiver.

Long-Distance Caregivers: These are individuals who live far away from the person they are caring for and provide care from a distance.

Informal Caregivers: These are individuals who provide care without any formal training on care.

Professional Caregivers: These are individuals who provide care in institutions of care or at the patient's home as a profession. They are currently known in Kenya as Health Care Support Assistants. Other terms used include nurse aide and patient attendants.

CARE FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS & HEALTHCARE SUPPORT ASSISTANTS.

Carers usually bear the burden of:

Stress related to money, medical requirements, self vs other care, work other family needs, information overload of

Carers also develop trauma, pain, fatigue, grief, stigma issues, emotional overload with no outlet or opportunity

Depletion of emotional resources such as compassion, patience, anger management, kindness and joy

We provide emotional and mental wellness support services to caregivers through psychological counselling and information-giving sessions such as Connection Cafe'.

The services are provided in group settings, in-person, online and on our social media platforms. That is, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Like & subscribe to stay updated.

suruvi.co.ke +254 719571770

May In A Snap

Behind every disease is a family caregiver or healthcare support assistant who is providing support and care to a loved one or patient.

The entire team at Suruvi - Care for Caregivers recognizes this and salutes every care provider represented by every disease, condition, disability or frailty.

We know that this work of heart can get heavy, isolating, and overwhelming. Being in the face of pain and malfunction requires regular refuelling of inner resources. We take your self-care seriously and are here to support you.

Support can take many forms, including counselling and education on selfmanagement and self-care.

Support can also be a friend or relative reaching out on behalf of a caregiver to sponsor them to therapy or any of our events. See Adopt A Caregiver – Suruvi – Care for Caregivers.

Reach out to us tusaidiane juu hii life ni harambee.

THE CAFE THAT HAPPENED...

!To everyone who came, everyone who shared from their experiences and everyone who helped make it happen!

Caregivers' Reflections from the cafe..

competence

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Shift in perception

New relationships

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ion cafe is ne we shall reflections. know where here is a rly bird offer

Hello JUNE

IT'S TIME For Some Reflection

We are in the middle of the year;

How did the first half go ?

Did the goals shift ?

Are you on track ?

Do you need new ones ?

HOW ARE YOU DOING ?

CHECK IN ON YOUR SELF

Regular self-check-ins are a great way to foster personal development and self-reflection.

You can use the following mid-year questions to gauge your success, make changes, and establish new objectives:

How have I grown and changed since the start of the year? Any big wins or a-ha of the t? ves? ped ed to oved?

International Awareness Days: Highlighting Caregivers Appreciation Into Patient Care

International Awareness Days serve as dedicated occasions to raise awareness and bring attention to important issues, causes or specific groups of people In the case of "Caregivers hine a realm wledge pport, ey are ribute ogical s, and ected ion in reater ed by hcare welless to team e you to our y and

Let's have a heart-to-heart moment, shall we?

When we take an honest look at ourselves, we realize that self-care practices aren't these elusive concepts far removed from our daily lives. In fact, they're much closer than we think. The real culprit that tends to sabotage our self-care efforts is the lack of prioritization caused

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F A T H E R S D A Y

Father's Day Word ScrambLe

Kenya Association of Healthcare Support Assistants

Belonging to KAHSA offers numerous benefits that outweigh the drawbacks of working independently as a Health Care Assistant (HSA). In the meeting, the benefits of association membership were emphasized by the officials present.

Firstly, associations advocate for their members' interests, representing their collective voice on important issues, influencing policy decisions, and providing a platform to address common challenges.

Secondly, association membership enhances professional credibility, as it demonstrates a commitment to professional development and adherence to industry standards.

Thirdly, in the near future, HSAs will not be able to legally without licences obtained through their association. This will be a government requirement and HSAs were advised on how to pursue registration and licensure.

See process on page 15.

KAHSA REGISTRATION PROCESS

THIS LOOK HAS A NAME

Carer Beware

COMPASSION FATIGUE: Carer Beware

As a caregiver, have you ever woken up in the morning full of energy, joy and strength to tackle the day? You know how sometimes, you wake up and you just know it’ s going to be a good day, right? You then come across the patient you are caring for and oops! they don’t seem to be in the same mood you are. They are grumpy, irritable and stubborn. But hey, it’ s so early in the day, you can ’t possibly let that get in the way. You continue with your duties, tend to their needs and even when they’ re being uncooperative you somehow find it in you to tackle the problem with a smile and utmost understanding.

However, as the day comes to an end, you find that the way you felt in the morning

THISISMENOW...

A young adult reflects on her fast-changing life courtesy of the caregiving role --Written by Dolly

So, this is my little story of how I got thrust into the caregiving role with two days’ notice!

It’ s funny how a simple phone call can cause a chain of events to unfold rapidly, and so that’ s how it began. While we were all recovering from my grandmother's birthday celebration, we received a call from my aunt saying that she needed to go for emergency surgery and therefore needed us to take my grandmother in for a while. Changes of accommodation put me on my bedroom floor on a mattress and my grandmother on the bed, my afternoon walks turned into tea-time and then shower hour, and by the time evening hit it was time to cook gum-friendly meals since she refuses to wear dentures!

All the physical accommodations were checked green on the to-do list, all that was left to do was keep her happy, and healthy and to keep the secret about my aunts' surgery to avoid stressing her! Sounds easy right?

Ever heard of a mother's instinct?

This is a true story. To

Yeah, it is real! Alongside her physical needs, she was overwhelmed mentally and emotionally with a feeling she couldn’t shake off – the motherly instinct that something wasn ’t right with her daughter. So here I am, 23 years old with a background in psychology and an internship position at a Caregivers clinic, catering to the physical, emotional, and mental distress she was experiencing... I got this, right?

inded us of the different types of health we in balance. Keep in mind that the different do influence our lives in one way or another to prioritize each component of life equally to one can negatively impact the others. pend too much time and energy on your ht take away from the other components of l. If you spend all your time at the ans you might not be spending enough time As a result, your financial and physical eriorate. too much of your time socializing and trying his might take away from your mental and ople come with their own stressors and y you think and behave. For example, if you me surrounded by people who only focus on of life, then you will notice that your own ts and becomes more negative. This can alth to decline. Therefore, as much as it is aningful connections it is also important to o is making up your social circle and how ending with them.

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KNOW YOUR LAW ON ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY IN KENYA

KUJUA NDIO BEST

Abuse of the elderly by caregivers is a serious violation of their human rights, and we must address this issue together. In Kenya, the law safeguards the well-being and safety of the elderly, providing them with the necessary protection. Let me unpack it.

The Older Persons Act of 2006 is the main law that protects the rights of the elderly in Kenya. This Act recognizes their right to live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Abuse can take many forms, such as physical, psychological, sexual, and financial, among others.

If you suspect or witness abuse, the first step is to report it to the relevant authorities. The Department of Social Services and the National Council for

Ndindi & Nadida Advocates LLP is a law firm which is premised on the ethos of legal humanitarianism: [Legal humanitarianism is the use of legal knowledge, skills and expertise to improve the conditions of humanity.] We prefer to think of ourselves as practicing humanitarianism in all matters that we handle.

https://www.ndindi-nadidaadvocates.com/

GAMES!

Did you know that Games offer a distraction from daily life and allow players to concentrate on a job or challenge, which can help ease anxiety and stress.

improve e you feel ntent.

Play is our brain's favourite way of learning and it's a great form of self-care for children and adults too!

Suruvi - Care for Caregivers provides therapy and self-care supportive information to caregivers because these superheroes need to recharge their emotional and mental batteries. We are a learning organization meaning we are big on transferable knowledge and skills. Think you have something to offer or gain? Click on the link below become a care-friend

Click to apply

https://surveyheart.com/form/5f7864681a7950567c53d4a3

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A CAREGIVER/PATIENT ATTENDANT/NURSE-AIDE/HEALTHCARE SUPPORT ASSISTANT?

DAVID MWANGI

One year of clinical experience, with an average of 96% in patient care.

+254 708361003

+254

Father's Day Word Scramble Answers

PLUGINTOOUR SERVICES

SelfCareProtip:

Ifyoucan'tchangethesituation changehowyouthinkaboutit.