CMK Home Care

What would make you feel better about yourself as you approach a new year? What could possibly impact your life in a way that you would feel that your day to day living could make a lasting impression upon others?

Here are ten ways that may suggest options for your being a hero or heroine to others as the new year unfolds:

First: Believe that you have the capability to offer to someone else a gift of inestimable value. What do you mean? Gifts of presence (not presents) to persons who need care and compassion as they undergo struggles, pain and deeply felt hurts that only love can cure.

Second: Persons all around us are going through the most agonizing pain that can be imagined. Create for them a level of comfort, a possibility of hope, a chance for improvement. Unemployed, ill, lonely, incurable, financially at odds with recovery, and on and on and on……what can we do to be present to them?

Third: Students who have graduated and find no promise or prospect for employment.  Is there anyway we can be a bridge that will assist them to connect with tomorrow?

Fourth: Unwed mothers who want to keep their child, but must face what it means to have resources sufficient to care for that child.

Fifth: Unemployed families who have lost their homes and their hope for making it from today to tomorrow and beyond.  What can I do to make a difference in their circumstances?

Sixth: How can I be present to all the persons I know who are undergoing the loss of all their senses of purpose, hopes for a better tomorrow, cure for their hurts, pains and disease? If there is no way I can be present, then what can I do to provoke the presence of resources that may help them?

Seventh: What can be done to help the father who wants to  offer and provide help to his family: food, transportation as needed, a roof over all the heads,  warmth upon retiring, joy when the family can be free to experience it?

Eighth: On the bus or other common transportation are persons who are carrying the weight of their own load from work to home.  What can I do to lessen their load?

Ninth: When I think my own troubles and problems are so great, what can I do to recognize how small they are compared to the heaviness that others must carry? 

Tenth: Is there any such thing as my being able to finally discover that the needs of others are greater than the selfishness of my own?  Please, help me to grasp how much I gain by losing my own cares and desires in behalf of others being helped to have theirs?

 By Dr. Jerry D. Elrod

The holidays are here once again. It seems like they just creep up on us. But not to worry, Caregivers. This article is going to be about how to make your holiday less hectic whether you celebrate Christmas or Hannuka.Throwing Parties

If you are going to have a family dinner at your house, write down everything that you need to do. And, be sure to follow this list.

Try to make all the food items early as long as they won’t go bad. Get the candy put into bowls a few days before a party, make that potato salad the day before, bake that cake that morning instead of 2 hours before the party.

Lay out the outfit that you are going to wear the night before. This way all you have to do is jump in the shower. No need to worry on what you are going to wear.

Set the table and place out serving bowls early. This can even be done a week before if you are very busy.

Gift Shopping

If you haven’t done all your shopping, start now. This way you will have more time to prepare for family dinners and parties. Shopping for gifts can be very time consuming. Next year, try getting gifts throughout the year. If I see something in August that someone would like, I get it.

Fun Activities for Caregiver & Loved One

Put up that tree and/or other decorations together. Make some cocoa and have fun. Play the holiday music and sing, sing, sing.

Make your own decorations. This is an excellent activity, especially for those with a dementing disease such as Alzheimer’s. Home-made ornaments can be made for the tree, cards for gifts can be made, or wreaths for the doors.

Bake cookies together and decorate them. Be creative.

Go over photo albums from past holidays.

Especially for Alzheimer Loved Ones

Plan early and tell your loved one what these plans are.

When having a family get together, try not to have a lot of noise. Laughing, singing, talking is fine. However, loud banging noises (i.e. New Year’s) can frighten your loved one.

Make sure that there is a place in your home that your loved one can go to if it gets too overwhelming. A lot of people may be confusing to your loved one.

When decorating, avoid blinking lights. This may confuse your loved one.

If your loved one does not want to participate in the festivities, do not force the issue. Be patient and try again later.

Holidays are supposed to be times of joy, celebration, rest (if you can sneak some in) and most importantly family. But for many of our elderly, holidays can mean something totally different.

There are many situations where seniors may not view the holidays as a time of joyous celebration. For the elderly the holidays may serve as reminders of friends who may have passed away, their distance away from loved ones, lack of visitation (if they are in an assisted living facility) and the inability to take part in many holiday events.

What Causes Holiday Depression in the elderly?

We can’t actually call it “holiday depression” because it isn’t the actual holiday that is the cause of this feeling of depression. As we stated earlier there are a host of reasons that may lead to these feelings.

In many cases the symptoms that are characteristic of depression in the elderly can often be overlooked. This is because some people perceive these changes in behavior to be symptomatic of something else… Old Age (as in the stereotype of the old man screaming, “Get Off My Grass!”).

But in fact, depression may be a sign of a host of problems. It could be a result of memory loss, an illness, chronic pain or other medical problems, or even an improper diet.

How Do I Know If My Elder is Depressed?

Signs of depression in your elderly loved one can be difficult to identify and are often times overlooked when they overlap with other medical illnesses or health problems.

Family members and friends are cautioned to be alert to signs of holiday depression among seniors, regardless of whether they live on their own, with family members or in a long-term care facility.

Depression is more apparent in seniors who have limited options for travel, or whose family members are scattered over long distances. Some of the most common symptoms of elderly depression during the holidays may include:

•    Decreased Appetite
•    Change in sleeping patterns or lack of sleep
•    Lack of Personal Care or Hygiene
•    Irresponsible Behavior
•    Decreased interest in socializing
•    Increased Irritability

How Can Elderly Depression Be Treated?

Fortunately, depression is a treatable disease. Aside from medication, family and friends can offer their support and comfort to ease their loved ones’ feelings of despair. In some cases, treatment may be as simple as relieving loneliness through visitations, outings and involvement in family activities. In more severe cases professional help may be needed.

So although holidays can be very stressful for everyone, take this time to make sure your elderly loved one is a part of all of the festivities and feels that special feeling that we all seek during these occasions. It can go a long way towards bolstering their sense of self worth.