Archive for December 14th, 2009

Posted on December 14, 2009 - by Nurse Virginia

The Best Gifts for Caregivers of the Confused Elderly and Disabled

Best Gifts for Family Caregivers

The best gift I can think of to give yourself, is the gift of more help. The first step is to realize that you need help, and then get comfortable asking for it. A great resource for this is the book Share the Care – How to Organize a group to Care for Someone who is Seriously Ill By: Cappy Capossela and Sheila Warnock, available at B&N, Amazon, and on the web site. This book takes the reader by the hand in a step by step approach to building a support system. Included are all the forms you will need to identify those potential sources of help, how to educate and organize the helpers and record keeping forms.

Time is always the best gift

Give the family caregiver some time off, even if it means taking the confused elder for a respite stay in a nursing community. The time in the nursing community can be an opportunity for the nursing staff to do a complete nursing assessment and have a skilled therapy assessment. Many nursing communities have on staff Dentists, beauticians, Podiatrists, message therapists, as well as many other amenities.

See blog:    Respite Care – July 14^th, 2009

Give yourself some well deserved credit

Take the time to re-evaluate your role as caregiver, and the blessings of the task that you have taken on.

See Blogs:       National Caregiver Month – November 10^th, 2009

Blessings of Being a Caregiver – April 2nd, 2009

Whoever notices the caregiver pushing the wheelchair – June 28, 2009

Virginia Garberding, R.N.

Director of Education, The Wealshire, Lincolnshire, Illinois

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance