Our Caregiver Coalition
2015
Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
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The Caregiver Coalition
of Northeast Florida is a partnership
between these organizations:
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Monthly Weekend Support Groups
Learn more by contacting Melynda Rackley, caregiver
support programs manager, 904.807.1292.
sponsored by Bartram Lakes/Brooks Assisted Living &
Alzheimer's Association
Bartram Lakes Assisted Living
6209 Brooks Bartram Drive, Jacksonville
RSVP to any/all programs: 800.272.3900
Healthy Habits for a Healthy You
Know the 10 Warning Signs
Memory Loss, Alzheimer's Disease, and Dementia: The
Basics
Sponsored by Friends of ElderSource
Saturday, September 12
Museum of Science & History (MOSH)
1025 Museum Circle
"Caring for the Veteran's Caregiver"
Conference
Friday, September 18
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WJCT Studios
100 Festival Park Ave.
Jacksonville
RSVP: 904.407.6790
or register online
Forever Fit 50 & Beyond: Jacksonville Senior Games
25th Annual Golf Classic to benefit Meals on Wheels
11 a.m. Registration/Lunch
Hidden Hills Golf and Country Club
"Caring for the Caregiver" Conference
Wednesday, October 21
5:30 to 8 p.m.
St. Johns County Council on Aging - River House
179 Marine St.
St. Augustine
RSVP: 904.407.6790
or register online
"Caring for the Caregiver" Conference
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Council on Aging of Nassau County
AgeWell Care Partners Conference
UNF Herbert University Center
$25 registration through October 15
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Our Mission:
To promote awareness
and knowledge of, sensitivity to and support
for family caregiving
in Northeast Florida.
All family caregivers will have knowledge of and access
to resources that support them and those in their care.
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Next Friday: Annual Veterans' Caregiver Conference Visits WJCT
Studios Downtown
Do you care for a veteran? Join your friends at the Caregiver Coalition and
Community Hospice Veterans Partnership at WJCT Public
Broadcasting in downtown Jacksonville for our annual "Caring
for the Veteran's Caregiver" conference next Friday, Sept. 18.
This program focuses on the unique needs of our
military veterans and how you can best support them and yourself at
the same time.
Just
For St. Johns County: Join Us October 21
If you can't make it to this month's conference (or
even if you can!), make plans to join us for a shorter version in
prime time, on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the River
House in St. Augustine. This special version of "Caring for
the Caregiver" will be hosted by the St. Johns County Council
on Aging.
Take a look at the conference flier and register
online, or call 904.407.6790
to tell us you're coming.
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Caregivers,
Take Charge Of Your Health! Here's How...
This article was adapted from, "Taking
Care of You: Self-Care For Family Caregivers." Read the full
article at Caregiver.org.
Caring for yourself is one of the most important
things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care
of, the person you care for will benefit, too.
According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, National
Center on Caregiving, "If you are a caregiving spouse between
the ages of 66 and 96 and are experiencing mental or emotional
strain, you have a risk of dying that is 63 percent higher than
that of people your age who are not caregivers. The combination of
loss, prolonged stress, the physical demands of caregiving, and the
biological vulnerabilities that come with age place you at risk for
significant health problems as well as an earlier death.
"Older caregivers are not the only ones who put
their health and well being at risk. If you are a baby boomer who
has assumed a caregiver role for your parents while simultaneously
juggling work and raising adolescent children, you face an
increased risk for depression, chronic illness and a possible
decline in quality of life.
But despite these risks, family caregivers of any
age are less likely than non-caregivers to practice preventive
health care and self-care behavior."
Although you cannot stop the impact of a chronic,
progressive illness or injury for someone you care for, there is a
great deal you can do to take responsibility for your own personal
well being.
First, identify
the personal barriers that may be standing in the way of
caring for yourself. As a family caregiver, ask
yourself, "What good will I be to the person I care for if I
become ill? If I die?" Breaking old patterns and overcoming
obstacles is not an easy proposition, but it can be done regardless
of your age or situation.
- Do
you think you are being selfish if you put your needs first?
- Is
it frightening to think of your own needs? What is the fear
about?
- Do
you have trouble asking for what you need? Do you feel
inadequate if you ask for help?
- Do
you feel you have to prove that you are worthy of the care
recipient's affection? Do you do too much as a result?
You may have misconceptions that increase your
stress and get in the way of good self-care. Here are some of the
most commonly expressed:
- I
am responsible for my parents' health.
- If
I don't do it, no one will.
- If
I do it right, I will get the love, attention and respect I
deserve.
- Our
family always takes care of their own.
- I
promised my father I would always take care of my mother.
Once you've identified personal barriers to good
self-care, you can begin
to change your behaviors, moving forward one small step at a time.
Following are some effective tools to start you on your way:
- Recognize warning signs early. These
might include irritability, sleep problems and forgetfulness.
Know your own warning signs, and act to make changes. Don't
wait until you are overwhelmed.
- Identify sources of stress.
Ask yourself, "What is causing stress for me?"
Sources of stress might be that you have too much to do,
family disagreements, feelings of inadequacy or the inability
to say no.
- Identify what you can and cannot
change. We can only change
ourselves; we cannot change another person. When you try to
change things for which you have no control, you will only
increase your sense of frustration. Ask yourself, "What
do I have some control over? What can I change?" Even a
small change can make a big difference.
- Take action.
Taking action to reduce stress gives us back a sense of control.
Stress reducers can be simple activities like walking and
other forms of exercise, gardening, meditation or having
coffee with a friend. Identify some stress reducers that work
for you.
Set Goals
Decide what you would like to accomplish in the next
three to six months for taking care of yourself.
Seek
Solutions
Once you've identified a problem, taking action to
solve it can change the situation and also change your attitude to
a more positive one, giving you more confidence in your abilities.
Communicate
Constructively
When you communicate in ways that are clear,
assertive and constructive, you will be heard and get the help and
support you need.
Ask For and Accept Help
When people have asked if they can be of help to
you, how often have you replied, "Thank you, but I'm
fine"? Many caregivers don't know how to accept the goodwill
of others and are reluctant to ask for help. You may not wish to
"burden" others or admit that you can't handle everything
yourself.
While caregivers will discuss their loved one's care
with his or her physician, caregivers seldom talk about their own
health, which is equally important. Building a partnership with a
physician that addresses the health needs of the care recipient and
the caregiver is crucial. The responsibility of this partnership
ideally is shared between you, the caregiver, the physician and
other health care staff.
Exercise promotes better sleep, reduces tension and
depression, and increases energy and alertness. If finding time for
exercise is a problem, incorporate it into your daily
activity. Walking, one of the best and easiest exercises, is a
great way to get started. Besides its physical benefits, walking
helps to reduce psychological tension. Try to walk 20 minutes a
day, three times a week. If you can't get away for that long, try
to walk for as long as you can and for however many days you can.
It is a strength to recognize when your emotions are
controlling you, instead of you controlling your emotions. Our
emotions are messages to which we need to listen. They exist for a
reason. However negative or painful, our feelings are useful tools
for understanding what is happening to us. Even feelings such as
guilt, anger and resentment contain important messages. Learn from
them, then take appropriate action.
It's not selfish to focus on your own needs and
desires when you are a caregiver. It's an important part of the
job! You are responsible for your own self-care.
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Partner Spotlight: AgeWell Institute
Baptist Health AgeWell Center
Transforming the lives of seniors
The mission of the AgeWell Center is to help older adults who face
challenging medical issues live more independent, productive lives,
with a range of specialized primary care services delivered all in
one place.
AgeWell's interdisciplinary team members want to help patients stay
as healthy as possible and continue doing the things they love to
do. They consider physical, emotional, social
and environmental factors that can impact quality of life, as
well as care for the care partner, as part of an overall assessment
each patient receives.
What can you expect?
You'll get an in-depth assessment, over two visits, which will
cover the factors that can affect your health and wellness. You can
also expect that the care plan will be designed with your personal
goals in mind.
At your initial assessment, you will be with members
of the team for two or three hours. The team includes a
geriatrician, a physician specializing in elder care, along with
other team members that may include a clinical pharmacist, rehab
specialists (physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech
pathologist), a mental health provider, dietitian, clinical nurse
specialist and care coordinator.
Family members or friends are strongly encouraged to
participate throughout the assessment.
Learn more or schedule an appointment at 904.202.4243, or
visit baptistjax.com/agewell.
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Toula's Tips: Caregivers, Put On Your Oxygen Masks
First!
Am I really talking about self-care again? Yes,
I am. I understand what you are facing each day because, I too, am
a caregiver. I am involved in the care of my dear parents and can
identify with you.
Caregivers wear many hats. You have to be a medication specialist,
master scheduler, chauffeur, creative chef, patient friend, nurse
and confidant. There are difficult days and impossible ones. During
all of it, your goal is to provide the best care for the one you
love so much. Otherwise, you wouldn't be doing it!
The emotional toll of caring for a frail elder can be steep.
Watching the person you love so much decline in physical and
cognitive function is heart wrenching. The strong parent or
grandparent who used to take care of you now needs to be parented.
Feelings of sadness, anxiety and exhaustion are common.
Here are a few tips to help:
- Give yourself permission to say no. If
you are overwhelmed, just say no. It's OK, really.
- Develop your own self-care plan
that includes enough rest, healthy diet, and yes, some
exercise every day, even if only for a few minutes. As
airlines tell us, in case there's a change in pressure, put on
your oxygen mask first before you assist anyone else. You can
only help someone else after you've taken care of yourself.
- Create a few simple goals
that will enrich your life. Do you like to garden, journal,
talk with a friend daily? Write them down. If you write your
goals down, they're more likely to happen.
- Check out available resources,
like the Caregiver Coalition of Northeast Florida! There are
lots of organizations to assist you.
- Take a break.
Yes, you can, and there are resources to provide this respite
for you if you don't have someone. Check with Caregiver
Coalition members.
- Find a "Caregiver
Buddy," someone you can call to
connect with. There are lots of us in our community!
- Whatever
you do, remember
you are not alone! There are many of us who
can help. Please seek them out.
Toula's weekly radio call-in
program, "Toula's Tips for Caregivers," airs Saturdays at
11 a.m. on WBOB, AM 600 in Jacksonville, streaming live from your
browser at WBOBRadio.com, or via iHeart
Radio. Call in at 904.222.TALK
(8255).
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The Patient Experience
"Caring for a loved one with a chronic condition
can often be profoundly fulfilling, as many times individuals move
closer together when challenges arise; however it can also become
overwhelming, physically and emotionally challenging, and
isolating. At times, it can be thought of as a burden."
The article, "Who is Taking Care of
the Caregiver?" from The
Journal of Patient Experience, reviews common caregiver
challenges and determines how health care providers can address and
help caregivers more effectively care for themselves while
maintaining their responsibility to the person they love.
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Nov. 21: Learn How To Help Loved Ones 'Age In Place'
At AgeWell Conference
Are you a caregiver
for an elder who prefers to age at home? Baptist Health's AgeWell
Institute will help you navigate the unique challenges of in-home
care at its third annual care partners conference on Saturday, Nov.
21.
The daylong seminar will feature one of America's leading dementia
educators, Teepa Snow.
Teepa has made it her personal mission to help families and
professionals better understand how it feels to live with dementia.
You'll also hear from two AgeWell Center geriatric experts: Dr. Raphael
"Tito" Balbino with "Aging Well:
Facts and Myths" and psychologist Melissa Roffman
with "What About Me? Caring for the Caregiver."
The program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University
of North Florida Herbert University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive on
the UNF campus. A $25 registration fee will include continental
breakfast and lunch, conference materials and access to local
resources to support elders and their caregivers. After October 15,
the fee increases to $35.
Online conference registration will be available soon. Call 904.202.4243
to learn more.
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