Caregiving |

June 22, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

How Can You Care for Your Brain?

This month is Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness Month.

Brain health is not something you may think about routinely. Oh, if you’re caring for someone with dementia you might. Especially when you know your brain needs to be healthy in order to give optimal care.

And you may be reminded about your brain’s health if you misplace your keys or forget if you locked your door.

So how can you care for your brain?

Well, there are seven steps you can do to start caring for your brain.

Follow a Heart Healthy Lifestyle. Experts say that eating and exercising for your heart also help your brain. Reducing your cardiac risk factors is another way to help both your heart and brain.
Engage you mind by challenging it. This can be through challenging mental activities or continuing your education. Doing mental exercises like puzzles or crafts can be challenging. You don’t have to do traditional crafts like knitting. One example is woodworking.
Protect your head from Injury. Wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle or bicycle makes sense, although many don’t do it. Protecting your brain can be as simple as protecting your head. And finding ways to prevent falls is another way to protect your brain from injury.
Avoid mind-altering substances, which include smoking and drugs.
Regularly get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is when your immune system works best. Both your brain and body need regular restful sleep.
Engage socially with others. Whether talking over problems or enjoying others’ company, social interaction is important in keeping your brain healthy.
Stay Happy! Choosing to be happy and finding help for symptoms of depression are important to your brain health. Depression has been associated with dementia, and optimism shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Check with your doctor or health care provider about what you need to do to care for your brain. And Brain Health Awareness Month is a good reminder.

In our Happy&Healthy Caregiver webinar this month, Simple Steps Toward Brain Health, Coach Dave and I give you more detailed suggestions for caring for your brain.

Click here now to save your seat for the live webinar and replay.

To your Happy&Healthy Caregiving,

Ina Gilmore, M.D.

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Global Purple Angel Ambassador

See original here:
How Can You Care for Your Brain?

Caregiving |

June 18, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

What Are the Ups and Downs of the Sandwich Generation?

Lisa often finds herself feeling caught between caring for her children and her elder mother.

The challenges of being there for her children when they need her can conflict with assuming care of her elder mother. And Lisa feels the stress and strains of trying to do “everything.”

She’s not alone...

Who coined the term “sandwich generation”, and when?

In 1981 social worker Dorothy Miller first used the term “sandwich generation” to describe women in their thirties and forties caring for both young children and their elderly parents.

Well, the term is now a nickname for the Baby Boomer generation. With women having children later in their careers and increased longevity, the demographic now “sandwiched” are anywhere between 40 and 65 years old. Some of the oldest are already out of the sandwich generation with their children, Gen X, replacing them.

What are the primary issues facing the sandwich generation?

Caring for aging parents. This can come with many challenges including resentment or guilt associated with caregiving. Family dynamics also play an important role in who takes care of what and when. Old sibling rivalries can add to the challenges.

If one or more of the siblings do not live locally, that adds additional stress to the local sibling(s) who need to shoulder the entire caregiving burden. A family meeting can allow all parties to voice their concerns and opinions and to iron out any potential conflict.
Being there for your child. Being in the sandwich generation requires a delicate balancing act of administering to the needs of one’s aging parents while not neglecting one’s own family. For school age children, ideally the parent is at home to welcome the child when he arrives home from school. And not miss those treasured moments, like a school performance or soccer game. Of course, sometimes it is necessary and OK for another trusted adult to be there for the child when the parent can’t be, or other safe arrangements for after school care are made.
Financial support. A big part of the Sandwich Generation dilemma is that it can really hurt your pocketbook. Young adults tend to launch their careers and life itself at a later age and may continue to live in their parents home. Many also return home when their relationship or marriage breaks up.

Add onto all this the high cost of long-term care for elder parents who may not have the means to support themselves, and even the more affluent will be understandably stressed. Indeed, according to a recent Pew poll about 47% of adults in their forties and fifties have a parent 65 or older and are either raising young children or supporting a grown child financially.
Long-term Care planning. At some point the decision needs to be made either to place mom or dad into an assisted living or nursing facility, or that they should age in place. Long-term care – and who is going to pay for it – is unquestionably one of the major issues that the Sandwich Generation needs to address.

With the high cost of assisted living and nursing home care and if relying only on savings, the average American family will have their savings gone in a very short period of time. This leaves a large percent of seniors with long-term care Medicaid as their only safety net. Often the guidance of a professional Medicaid planning company may be needed to help the family through this stressful transition.

What Good Comes Out of Being the Sandwich generation?

Hey, it’s not all bad! You can find the experience and challenge of dual caregiving highly rewarding for yourself as well as your children.

Family caregivers can find that connecting with their elder parent in this altruistic form of giving heals old, seemingly forgotten wounds, transforming them into love and forgiveness. Many find caregiving to be very spiritual, contributing to their deep sense of purpose.

Children of these caregivers have cited this caregiving period as the time they had the opportunity to forge everlasting bonds of love and affection with their grandparents and many cherished memories were then created.

All in all, the Sandwich Generation is rising to the challenge of donning multiple “hats” simultaneously. Awareness of the issues that it presents can be the first step in transforming the experience from burden to blessing.

When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed Where Do You Start?

Well, in our 9-week program Mastering Caregiving: Fundamentals for Caregivers we give you step-by-step solutions. Topics include Transforming Stress, Balancing Life and Caregiving, Mastering Change and Caregiver Health and Wellness.

All topics that any caregiver — especially anyone giving care to more than one person — needs.

Click here now to start Mastering Caregiving: Fundamentals for Caregivers right away.

View original post here:
What Are the Ups and Downs of the Sandwich Generation?

Caregiving |

June 6, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

What’s the Gift of Alzheimer’s?

This week Coach Dave and I spoke with Maggie La Tourelle, who is a writer, speaker, therapist and educator in holistic healthcare and wellbeing. She’s also the author of the book The Gift of Alzheimer’s: New Insights into the Potential of Alzheimer’s and its Care.

She shared the wonderful experiences and discoveries she made during her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s, which Maggie describes as a “beautiful journey.”

When was the last time you heard someone refer to “The Gifts of Alzheimers” or it as a beautiful journey?

It’s more common to refer to Alzheimer’s as a tragedy and equally negative terms. Which is understandable. The person you knew before dementia usually disappears, and there are many losses associated with this.

Maggie shared her discoveries, including…

How her mother was able to surrender to the now and released her fear of death…

The power of emotional memory and how new emotional memories continue even in the last stages of Alzheimer’s…

How her mother found unconditional love and shared it with Maggie for the first time in Maggie’s life…

How they found the true source of happiness and love…

The transformation of both her mother’s final years and Maggie’s perspective on individual truth and awareness…

And more!

You can listen to the whole replay of this amazing hour we spent by signing up at www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com/webinar

Her book The Gift of Alzheimer’s: New Insights into the Potential of Alzheimer’s and its Care combines conversations Maggie and her mother had with Maggie’s insights and explanations. She explains what’s happening, and also gives specific examples of how to react to someone with dementia in unconditional love and acceptance.

And it also has an extensive reference section!

This book is an important affordable resource for family and professional caregivers of those living with dementia.

To your Happy&Healthy Caregiving,

Ina Gilmore, M.D.

“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

P.S. One of the most delightful surprises of the webinar was how Maggie discussed many of the same things we talk about in our Mastering Caregiving Program. Check it out at www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com/programs

See the original post:
What’s the Gift of Alzheimer’s?

Caregiving |

May 22, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

Why Can Remembering and Reminsicing Transform Caregiving One Memory At a Time?

Holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Memorial Day can stimulate memories, or longings.

And sometimes it’s events or days not usually associated with memories that are the hardest.

Why?

Well, it’s because they can catch you unprepared. With an official holiday that’s associated with memories, you may have some warning that it’s coming.

When I was young, Memorial Day was an important holiday. I grew up near a town that was one of the ones starting the practice of Memorial Day after the Civil War. Oh, it never got official recognition from the federal government for founding the day. That honor went to a different town.

Still, it was a time that families would gather at cemeteries to place flowers on graves, or to plant them. And even if your family didn’t have anyone to honor, it was a time to notice the care and love others showed.

Reminiscing after the caregiving ends can give you great comfort. And like many parts of caregiving, it can also lead to intense sorrow. Focusing on the negative aspects of memories—“what if” or the “if only”—can lead to more and more pain and sorrow. While focusing on happy memories, on those moments of joy and love can lead to happiness and comfort.

Creating those happy memories while caregiving can be challenging with everything you already do. It can also be a comfort, and make your caregiving easier while reducing caregiver stress. Reminiscing can do the same. Reminiscing be allowing your carereceiver to share the memories she recalls, even if someone else thinks they’re “wrong.” We explain further in our free webinar…

In our webinar Remember and Reminisce With Purpose: Transforming Caregiving One Memory At a Time we show you…

Steps you can take long before the caregiving ends to keep the good memories alive and to share them…
The power of changing from focusing on remembering to reminiscing in you carereceiver and how it can reduce caregiver stress and…
Suggestions for how to preserve memories that can be started while caregiving, and final editing and preservation can be done afterwards.

The replay is available now. Just Click Here Now to Save Your Seat for the next webinar and to get instant access to previous ones. And be sure to listen to the entire webinar, because we have a special gift for you at the end.

We’re here to help you make your caregiving Happy&Healthy.

To your Happy&Healthy Caregiving,

Ina Gilmore, M.D.

Founder, CaregivingWithPurpose.com and TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Read the original here:
Why Can Remembering and Reminsicing Transform Caregiving One Memory At a Time?

Caregiving |

February 25, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

How Did Julianne Moore Highlight the Isolation of Alzheimer’s at Oscars?

On Sunday, Julianne Moore won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland in “Still Alice.”

After accepting her award, she used the spotlight to highlight the isolation of Alzheimer’s disease and raise awareness. She said, “I’m thrilled that we were able to shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease. So many people who have this disease feel marginalized. People who have Alzheimer’s disease deserve to be seen so we can find a cure.”

It’s caregivers, carereceivers and their loved ones who often find Alzheimer’s disease isolating and feel marginalized.

Ms. Moore reportedly spent 4 months researching the role with persons with Alzheimer’s disease.

Today over 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s. And that number is expected to rise to 16 million by 2050. In the film, Alice Howland had Early Onset Alzheimers, which is diagnosed before age 65. In the U.S. there are an estimated 200,000 people with Early Onset.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. And the article Alzheimer’s Symptoms: What Are the 7 A’s of Dementia? describes 7 signs and symptoms of dementia.

To your Happy&Healthy Caregiving,

Ina Gilmore, M.D.

“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

P.S. For simple solutions to the isolation of dementia and caregiving join our free monthly webinars at www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com/webinar

Originally posted here:
How Did Julianne Moore Highlight the Isolation of Alzheimer’s at Oscars?

Caregiving |

February 5, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

What Makes a Caregiver?

There are over 65 million caregivers in the U.S. who touch the lives of their carereceivers.

Peter Rosenberger has three decades of experience as a family caregiver. And he sums up why caregivers give care beautifully in this quote.

“If you love somebody, you will be a caregiver.

If you live long enough, you’ll need one.”

Peter Rosenberger

His book Hope for the Caregiver: Encouraging Words to Strengthen Your Spirit is now available in Kindle at a very low price.

Don’t have a Kindle? Amazon supplies free apps to read it on your computer or cell phone.

To your Happy&Healthy Caregiving,

Ina Gilmore, M.D.

“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com
Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

See original here:
What Makes a Caregiver?

Caregiving |

January 22, 2015

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

30 Tips to Make a Home Safer For Elders

While assisted living is wonderful, it’s not always an option. Your elder may need to remain independent at home or semi-independent while living with family.

When my mother moved in with me, some changes needed to be made to the house. Some of the changes were immediate and some as we saw a need. They ranged from low pile Berber carpet to reduce risks of falls to railings on both sides of stairs. Grab bars were installed in the bathroom, and the kitchen and bath arranged so she could reach items easily and safely.

Making a home elder-friendly includes thinking about what your elder needs now and likely will need in the future. This post includes 30 top tips for you to consider now or in future planning.

Is Your Kitchen Elder-Friendly?

1. Telecare detectors not only sound an alarm, they also contact a monitoring center. Can include smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Professional installation can determine best placement to minimize false alarms without compromising safety.

2. Store commonly used items on easy to reach shelves and drawers.

3. Static shelves may need replaced with rollout shelves for easy access.

4. Special tools can help keep your elder independent. Tools include assistive openers for bottles, jars and cans to easy grip often wide-handled tools and silverware. Cups with 2 handles, non-slip placemats and brightly colored dishes can all be helpful.

5. Levers on faucets instead of knobs are easier to use because they need less strength and dexterity to use.

6. Consider a stool for sitting while working in the kitchen instead of standing.

7. Bright colors that contrast can help elders identify items.

8. A cart or trolley can help move items from one room to another, such as food and drinks from kitchen to dining room.

9. Other ideas include non-slip flooring. Elder skin is more fragile than younger skin, and baby bumpers around sharp edges of counters and low cabinets can prevent injuries.

Living and Other Rooms Need Attention Too

10. Arrange furniture so there’s plenty of room to move around. Avoid clutter of newspapers, magazines and knick-knacks on floors.

11. Electrical cords should be secure and not in the path of walking. You may need to secure them to a wall.

12. Large screen phones and phones with large buttons are often easier for elders to use.
13. Rugs should be removed or secured with double-faced tape to prevent slipping and falls.

14. Consider an entry phone or intercom to alert your elder that someone is at the door.

15. Lighting should be bright enough; elders need more light to see adequately than younger adults.

Making Bedrooms Elder-Friendly

16. A bedside lamp placed so the switch can be easily reached prevents accidents in the dark.

17. A flashlight or battery powered lamp near the bed gives a light source in case of power failure.

18. Adding a bedrail can help sitting up in bed while also preventing falls out of bed.

19. Low pile carpet can add a cushion in case of a fall. Avoid shag or high pile carpets both of which can lead to tripping and falling, and can be difficult to negotiate in a wheelchair.

20. If the bed is too low to comfortably get in and out, raising the bed with bed risers can make it easier and safer.

Most Accidents Occur in the Bathroom

21. Grab bars can make getting in and out of the shower and on and off the toilet safer and easier. Check the diameter of the bars. Larger diameter grab bars that are American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant are easier to grab.

22. An elevated toilet seat or elevated toilet makes it easier to get on and off it.

23. Non-skid mats near the shower, bath, toilet and sink can help prevent accidental falls and slippage. Bathmat in the bath and shower can also help prevent falls.
24. A handheld showerhead is easier to use when mobility is limited.

25. A bath chair or bath bench can reduce slipping when getting in and out of the bath or shower. And sitting while showering may be easier and safer when someone is weak or tired.

Remember Hallways and Other Rooms

26. Handrails on both sides of steps can make walking up and down safer. An expensive investment is a stair lift, which may or may not be an option. You may need to consider if it’s possible to have your elder stay mostly on one floor.

27. Making the edges of the steps clearly visible can help your elder see the step without falling.

28. Lighting should be bright enough for elders. An 80 year-old person needs 3 times the illumination a younger adult needs.

29. Place a table near the entry to place a purse, keys or even packages.

30. Doorknobs can be difficult to open with arthritis or weakness of hands. Consider levers instead of knobs for doors used by elders.

Original Source:

Tips compiled partly from a list from the infographic “How to Make a Home Safer for Older People” by Bluebirdcare.ie.

What tips do you have for making a home safer for elders? Share them in the comments so others can benefit from your knowledge.

To your happy&healthy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D.
Founder, CaregivingWithPurpose.com

Ambassador of Caregiving, HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

P.S. Join our free monthly webinars for more tips and ideas that work. Click here to register for the live calls and replays.

Read the original here:
30 Tips to Make a Home Safer For Elders

Caregiving |

December 6, 2014

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

Caregiving With Purpose Nominated for Best Health Blog

The editors of Healthline chose Caregiving With Purpose for the third year as one of the Top 20 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Blogs in 2014. And now they’ve nominated it for Best Health Blog of 2014.

Healthline has an annual contest for Best Health Blog. The top 3 blogs are featured on Healthline for an entire year, and they get a prize. This is an opportunity to raise awareness for caregiving and dementia. Caregivers are among the most silent of the “silent majority” and the ones who often feel alone and need support.

Did you know that many caregivers don’t see themselves as caregivers?

Instead they see themselves as adult children or grandchildren, spouses, siblings, parents and grandparents. And raising awareness about them involves not only alerting others to their situations, but also getting them to realize they’re caregivers.

And caring for someone with dementia—whether it’s Alzheimer’s disease or something else—is even more challenging.

Why?

Because you are dealing with changes in your carereceiver’s personality, thinking and communication. And they can be continually changing as your carereceiver’s dementia progresses.

How can you help?

Caregiving With Purpose has finished in the top 20 the past 2 years, and this year I hope it finishes in the top 3. As I write this it’s number 5, due to the support of readers, fans, family and colleagues.

The contest runs through January 15, 2015 and it’s possible to vote twice in a 24 hour period: once on Facebook and once on Twitter. I’m asking you to vote for Caregiving With Purpose. If you have an account on both Facebook and Twitter, please vote on both. Vote every day of you can, if not as often as you can. Click here to vote now.

Help get the message of hope and community to caregivers so they no longer feel isolated and alone. The wonder of the Internet is it’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… even on weekends and holidays.

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore MD

Founder www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com

Ambassador of Caregiving on www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Purple Angel Global Ambassador for Dementia Awareness

P.S. Please help raise awareness by voting often at www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com/vote , which redirects you to the Healthine voting page.

Originally posted here:
Caregiving With Purpose Nominated for Best Health Blog

Caregiving |

December 3, 2014

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

Why Get a Good Night’s Sleep?

Some of the scariest things happen when you lose sleep.

Oh I don’t mean ghost stories, although they can be scary especially to children. What happens when you lose sleep?

You may notice being more irritable than usual. If you’re driving or operating other machinery and your reflexes are slowed it can lead to an accident. And your judgement may be slowed from lack of sleep.

It can be more than simply being cranky or yawning a lot the next day. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues and risks, including obesity, depression and anxiety. And it may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Did you know…

40% of Americans are sleep-deprived?
Getting less than 6 hours of sleep means you’re cognitively impaired?
Your immune system fights infections and cancers when you’re asleep?

And more…

This is the topic of an upcoming National Geographic Special: “Sleepless in America.” Its next showing is Sunday December 7. Click here to see the video trailer and find out more and get updated showings.

What can you do about it?

Well, that’s the topic of a recent free workshop on Caregiving With Purpose – “Easy Ways for Caregivers to Get a Good Night’s Sleep.” You can still get the replay by signing up for the workshops. Just click here now.

To your happy&healthy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore MD

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Caregiving at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Read the original here:
Why Get a Good Night’s Sleep?

Caregiving |

September 12, 2014

| by Ina Gilmore, M.D. ("The Knitting Dr.")

Who Wants to Join This Alzheimers Giveaway?

Find out about giveaway of a copy of novel about Alzheimers disease: An Absent Mind by Eric Rill at CaregivingWithPurpose.com for World Alzheimer’s Day.

Read the original here:
Who Wants to Join This Alzheimers Giveaway?