Salute to
Caregivers
Sunday, December 26, 2021
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THE COURIER
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2021
Tips to be a successful caregiver and avoid burnout It takes a generous, compassionate individual to be a caregiver. You’re on call” 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to allow your loved one remain in the comfort and security of their own home. Often, you can become so involved in the day-to-day routine, you may forget to let others know you need assistance with providing care, or just a simple break from the routine.
family, clergy, support groups and on-line communities. • Prioritize your sleep. Nap when your loved one naps. • Schedule a break every day. Even 15 minutes to yourself makes a big difference. • Eat healthy to keep your energy up. • Exercise to manage stress and increase your energy. • Educate yourself about your loved one’s condition. • Seek the help of professional resources for additional guidance. • Keep communication with your employer open to obtain their support.
When your life is not in balance for an extended period, burnout occurs. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to recognize when you are in the midst of caregiving, and it’s important to be aware of your needs and limitations. Being healthy and practicing regular At Cedar Valley Hospice, we selfcare is a requirement for successful understand that being a caregiver caregiving. is demanding and are here to help. If you feel overwhelmed or need In addition to caregiving, there are assistance, give us a call. Through still day-to-day responsibilities that our palliative care and hospice require attention and prioritization. programs, we can come into the It’s important to create a list of things home or nursing facility to provide that need to be done, such as grocery specific education for caregivers to shopping, laundry, errands, lawn put them in the best possible spot for care, housecleaning or spending time success. with the care recipient, and put it on the refrigerator or near the front In addition, our expert care teams take door. If someone says, “Let me know on a large portion of that caregiving if there is anything I can do to help,” role by providing physical, emotional you can refer to the list. and spiritual care for your loved one, so you can focus on spending Here are some additional tips to help more quality time with them. Afterall, you prevent caregiver burnout. you were their spouse, child, friend, • Ask for help. Plan a family meeting to etc. first before you became their coordinate everyone’s roles. Develop caregiver, and that is where your a calendar to assign responsibilities. energy should ultimately be focused… • Create a list of chores. When on Making Each Moment Matter. someone asks how they can help, reference the list! For more information on how Cedar • Keep expectations realistic. Valley Hospice can help, please call • Keep your sense of humor. 800.626.2360 or visit cvhospice.org. • Pay attention to your health needs. • Share your feelings with friends,
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When Dealing With Illness, Remember to Be Kind “It was about 2:30 a.m. one fall morning and Gabe started throwing up,” Michelle Davis says. As the mother of a 2-year-old, she decided it was time to head to the clinic. She went online to reserve a spot, but there wasn’t anything available. So once the clinic opened, she and Gabe headed to urgent care at UnityPoint Clinic – Express in Waterloo, Iowa. “I knew it was going to be crazy, and it was. The clinic was full, and people were waiting. During that time, I watched the woman at the reception desk handle so many rude comments. Each time she was courteous and apologetic. I felt so bad for her,” Davis says. She knew the Express clinics aim to get people in and out in about
30 minutes, but with the rapidly spreading delta COVID-19 variant and other viral illnesses peaking outside of their seasonal norm, many clinics are experiencing record-breaking patient volumes, which has resulted in some wait times that are longer than expected. In fact, on the day Michelle and Gabe came in, the only provider in the clinic, Katie Wilcox, saw 99 patients between open and close. That’s about double the amount of a typical day. “With a waiting room full of patients, you’d think our visit may be rushed, but it wasn’t. Katie took her time and answered all my questions. She was so patient. Besides being covered in vomit, we were easy patients, too. I never felt like we
were being pushed out the door,” Davis says. “I want to make sure patients are getting my best. I have been an advance nurse practitioner in the Express/urgent care setting the last 10 years. What I do is really my calling. I aim to keep a positive attitude and take it one patient at a time. It’s my obligation to understand each patient’s needs and help them get back to their everyday lives,” Wilcox says. With higher patient volumes and longer waits, she wants patients to know she and her fellow care teams are doing their absolute best to get them seen — and better — as soon as they can. Davis says she and Gabe have seen Wilcox twice this year, and
each time she’s treated her and her son like they mattered. “During the spring, Gabe woke up early and was coughing and couldn’t catch his breath. It was so scary, and I thought for sure we were going to be calling an ambulance. We stopped at urgent care to see Katie. She was very patient with me and could tell I was freaked out. She checked Gabe over and told me he had a lower respiratory infection. She told me it’d be OK, too, and I trusted her,” Davis said. Davis offers this advice to anyone who finds themselves in need of a doctor during a busy healthcare time, “Just have patience. Be kind. They’re working as hard as they can to take care of all of us and meet our needs as we come in.”
be happy. be healthy. be kind.
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SALUTE TO CAREGIVERS | THE ROLE
What Is Informal Caregiving? As Americans age or face life with chronic illnesses and disabilities, many find themselves unable to fully care for themselves in their own homes but don’t need fulltime help. Many want to stay in their own homes and retain the independence they have, or they can’t afford an assisted living facility and are unable to find help from the government or insurance policies to help with costs. To help those people stay in their own homes, millions of adults have taken on the role of informal caregivers for family members, friends, neighbors or members of their church community. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 34 million Americans have been a short- or longterm informal caregiver for an adult family member, neighbor or friend. The person receiving care may have a disability or illness, such as Alzheimer’s or a physical ailment, or they may be elderly and unable to care for themselves. Another 9 million provide caregiving services for children with illnesses or disabilities. These caregivers, who aren’t paid for their work, provide a range of services to their loved ones. Some patients need significant care, so caregivers live with them, cook, clean, take them to doctor’s appointments
and whatever else the person needs to allow value of such services as $470 billion in them to continue to live in 2013, and that’s continuing to increase. This their own homes. exceeds the value of paid home care and total Medicaid spending in the same year, almost Often, however, people need only occasional matching the value of the sales of Wal-Mart, care or help with specific tasks, such as the world’s largest company. cooking, yardwork or driving, and relatives, friends and neighbors pitch in to help the Caregiving offers many benefits, particularly person continue to live independently. for the person able to stay in their home, but caregivers face risks to their own physical This informal caregiving provides significant and mental health and often face burnout. economic value. The AARP estimated the
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Supporting You in Your Caregiving Journey Supporting you in your caregiving journey Three options to connect with others at one of our support groups! Join by phone: • Each Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. • Third Monday each month at 10:00 a.m. • Dial 1-800-264-8432 and use participant code 961847# Attend Virtually Through Zoom: • Tuesdays from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. • To join, click on the link on our website at www.nei3a.org/our-services/ caregiver-resources. Meet In Person: • Third Monday each month at 10:00 a.m. • Meetings held at the NEI3A Decorah Regional Office located at 607 Washington Street in Decorah For more information call 1-800-779-8707
Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging prides itself on supporting families and friends that go the extra mile to be a “caregiver.” We know that as a caregiver, taking care of yourself and getting the help you need is imperative. Taking care of yourself means managing stress, maintaining healthy choices, asking for help, collaborating with other caregivers, and scheduling time for yourself. NEI3A constantly provides and updates supports and services to assist you. To help caregivers stay connected with their loved ones, NEI3A partnered with GrandPads. GrandPads are an easy-to-use tablet that allows preauthorized contacts to communicate with their loved ones through a video call. This feature is significant for caregivers to see their loved ones and assess how they are doing. NEI3A staff can also conduct in-home video checks to see if additional services are needed to help the individual remain safely at home. A support group provides a way to meet with other caregivers and avoid isolation and loneliness. We have three different options to join our support groups – either by Zoom, conference call or in-person. We also encourage caregivers to join our NEI3A Support Group Facebook page. Along with offering support groups, NEI3A can assist caregivers by connecting them with additional community resources such as respite care. Respite Care allows the caregiver a break in their caregiving duties to allow time to care for themselves. We recognize how invaluable caregivers are. NEI3A can connect you with the supports you need to continue on your caregiving journey! Call us today at 1-800-779-8707.
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2021
SALUTE TO CAREGIVERS | THE PEOPLE
Who Are the Caregivers?
Caregivers and those receiving care over a range of ages, genders and relationships, but, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance, older woen are most likely to receive care, and women are by far the most likely to be caregivers.
Two-thirds of people receiving care are women, with an average age of almost 70 years old, but almost half of people between the ages of 18 and 45 years old receiving care are men. Women, in addition to being three-quarters of the informal caregivers, spend as much as 50 percent more time providing care than men. Half of caregivers are caring for a parent or parent-in-law. Fifteen percent care for friend or neighbor; others, particularly older Americans who are acting as caregivers, are actually caring for their spouse, which sometimes puts people in the position of caretaking in poor health themselves. Caregivers spend an average of 13 days each month doing tasks such as shopping, cooking or food preparation, housekeeping, laundry and administering medications; six days a month feeding, dressing, grooming, walking and helping with hygiene; and 13 hours a month doing research on their loved one’s condition and how best to help, managing finances or coordinating with doctors.
a caregiver’s work is four years, with 15 percent of caregivers helping their patients for a decade or more. Family caregivers say they spend more than 24 hours a week on caregiving, many on top of full-time jobs. (The average caregiver in the U.S. is in her late 40s.) Those who live with the care recipient spend more time on caregiving Caregivers who provide complex care or spend tasks than those who don’t. more time providing care help with medical and nursing tasks and provide help with tasks such as Caregivers also report having decision-making authority or power of attorney over such things as getting in and out of bed and chairs. The average length of treatment, communicating with doctors and other
health care providers and advocating on the recipient’s behalf with health care professionals, community organizations, insurance companies and government agencies. Informal caregivers, many of whom do not have special skills suited to these tasks, do so because they feel a personal responsibility for their loved ones. Almost half say no one else can do it or insurance will not pay for home care.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2021
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Stay independent with help from a professional caregiver The Cedar Valley has trusted Western Home Communities for more than a century for the best quality in senior living, and atHome with Western Home brings that same trusted care to your door. Stay in the place you call home, and access the best help to live your most fulfilling lifestyle right there.
Nursing care may be needed permanently or temporarily, when you’re recovering from an illness or surgery or managing a chronic condition. A combination of certified aides and nurses can assist with disease management, medication set-up, medication and physician order changes, catheters, feeding tubes, wound care, Hoyer lifts, and more.
No other local provider offers the broad combination of services you’ll find from atHome with Western Home: Think of it as Technologies include an exclusive your one-stop-shop for successful living at integrated system of personal emergency pendants and fall detectors that offer home. round-the-clock security for emergencies. It’s less than the cost of cable, and is Companion care offers just about any available from the name you know and help you may need to live at home: a trust: atHome with Western Home. caregiver who can assist with dressing, grooming, bathing, preparing meals, Call today and let our experienced team running errands, shopping, taking you help determine the best solution for you. to appointments, cleaning out closets, Call atHome with Western Home at (319) folding laundry, washing dishes, taking walks, playing games, talking, reading… 277-7779. Serving Black Hawk, Bremer, an atHome with Western Home caregiver Butler and Grundy counties. can be there for you.
Still
Essential. Still Heroic.
Kaitlyn Peters, LPN, greets a client of atHome with Western Home.
21 long months into the pandemic, and caregivers still show up with strong spirits and soft hearts - adapting, protecting, advocating. You inspire us all.
Want a job where you make a difference each day? Apply now at WesternHomeCommunities.org.
Being a Caregiver means… You will never be bored. You will always be frustrated. You will be surrounded by challenges, so much to do and so little time.
Thank you to our amazing caregivers
You will carry immense responsibility and very little authority. You will step into people’s lives and you will make a difference. Some will bless you. Some will curse you. You will see people at their worst – and at their best. You will never cease to be amazed at peoples capacity for Love, courage and endurance. You will experience resounding triumphs and devastating failures. You will cry a lot. You will laugh a lot. You will know what it is to be human and to be humane. Melodie Chenevert
Skilled Care Memory Care The Bryhl Assisted Living Residential Living NewAldaya Lifescapes 7511 University Avenue Cedar Falls, IA 319.268.0401 www.newaldaya.org