Stephen M. Levin is a Certified Senior Advisor, and has been servicing the senior community for the past 5 years. He has an Undergraduate Degree in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and earned a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. He has a passion for providing seniors with in home services, so that they can live safely in their homes for as long as possible. “My goal is to provide seniors with affordable and high quality care in their own homes, where they can feel comfortable and continue with their normal daily routines.
With Home Instead Senior Care, America’s trusted source of in home non-medical services, I am able to accomplish this. Our CAREGivers are background checked, insured and bonded, fully employed, and trained by Home Instead before they go into anybody’s home.”
For more information, please call 215-925-4610 to schedule a free in-home evaluation.
She awakens in the morning still exhausted after a fitful night of sleep and immediately feels overwhelmed. There’s the unprepared report due at work today, afternoon soccer practice for her son and a school board meeting that night. Somewhere in her brief free moments of her day, she must find time for her mother: Eighty-four-year-old mom at home alone, who can’t drive, reach into the cupboard to pull out a box of cereal, or see well enough to take her correct dose of medication. For her, there are no easy answers about how to fit her mom into the juggling act she calls a typical day.
This is the life of the family caregiver – who represents one in four Americans, according to various studies. New evidence and interviews of family caregivers reveal a disturbing trend of debilitating stress that can accompany this role, even though most still say that, in spite of the challenges, the job comes with many rewards.
Statistics from a recent report prepared with information collected through Home Instead Senior Care Web site www.caregiverstress.com tell the story. More than three-fourths (76 percent) of the 8,000 family caregivers who took the company’s stress test reported that their aging loved one’s needs are overwhelming. Furthermore, 91 percent of family caregivers who completed the test said they have episodes of feeling anxious or irritable; 73 percent have disturbed sleep patterns; and 56 percent seem to become ill more frequently.
“Every day we encounter these family caregivers who love and want the best for their aging familymembers, but don’t know how to fit it all in,” said Steve Levin, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Philadelphia. “For these family caregivers, stress is a constant companion.”
Social workers and other senior-care experts often recommend resources to keep seniors independent and to help their family caregivers manage stress. One such resource is Home Instead Senior Care, a company that employs non-medical CAREGivers to go into the homes or assisted care communities of seniors. The company’s CAREGivers provide a variety of non-medical services to seniors. These essential services – such as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and personal care – also include a respite for weary family caregivers.
“Our services can be just what harried family caregivers need to help fill in the caregiving gaps and to alleviate the stress and worry that caregiving can place on their lives,”said Home Instead Senior Care’s Levin. “Most family caregivers agree that there are many rewards associated with this job, which is why additional support can make all the difference.”
If you’re under stress, consider the following survival tools from Home Instead Senior Care:
• Work out: Exercise should be something you like to do (walking, dancing, running, etc.). Or consider stress-management exercises, such as yoga or tai chi, teach inner balance and relaxation.
• Meditate: Sit still and breathe deeply with your mind as “quiet”as possible whenever you are feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities as a caregiver.
• Ask for help: Avoid stress by enlisting help from family members, friends, and/or a professional caregiver for assistance. There is no need to feel guilty for reaching out.
• Take a break: Make arrangements for fill-in help. Take single days, a weekend or even a week’s vacation, just make sure you line up your support system so you can be confident that your loved one is safe and happy.
• Eat well: Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, including nuts, beans, and whole grains. Indulging in caffeine, fast food and sugar as quick “pick-me-ups” also produce a quick “let-down.”
• Take care of yourself: Just like you make sure your loved one gets to the doctor regularly, make sure you get your annual check-up. Being a caregiver provides many excuses for skipping your ecessary check-ups, but you cannot and should not compromise your health.
• Indulge: Treat yourself to a massage or manicure. Reward yourself for the wonderful care you are providing to your aging relative.
• Support: Find a local caregiver support group. What you are feeling is normal for someone in your position. These are great places to get practical advice from people who are in your situation.
For more information, visit www.caregiverstress.com.