Like a Breath of Fresh Air

Taking a break

[I read this in the Catholic Charities newsletter f or care givers and got permission to use it in my monthly newsletter for the Twin Cities Seniors’ Choice at Home employees.  I thought it would be a good reminder for all of us.  Many thanks to Ann Puglisi (see note below) for her kind permission to include it there and for you in this blog.]

Taking a break  is the single most important thing we as care givers can do to maintain our mental and physical health. Scheduling time for ourselves at regular intervals is essential for releasing stress and restoring energy. At a minimum, find time each day to get some fresh air, stretch, and eat a proper meal. Just one minute of stretching in an hour really is good for our body and prevents repetitive injury.

Think about what it feels like to sit outside and enjoy a perfect day, smell a rose, or remember a vacation place you loved. These things take very little time but they’re like taking a breath of fresh air. Some folks call these micro breaks or mini-vacations. What can we do to take a mini-vacation? Perhaps it’s something as simple as watching the birds at a bird feeder or taking a bubble bath. Perhaps it’s indulging in some sort of artistic project. One caregiver enjoys making silk flower arrangements and is able to draw her mother into conversation about them.

What could we enjoy if we had an afternoon to ourselves? Would it be going to a movie, going to lunch with friends, or going clothes shopping? Try to find the time for a “breath of fresh air’ for yourself.

[Many thanks to Ann Puglisi of Catholic Charities for the “breath of fresh air.”  The Catholic Charities Caregiver Support website is:  http://www.cctwincities.org]

Wandering and Getting Lost: A Serious Problem

Plymouth, MN Man Lost During Daily Walk

Did you know that 60% of people with severe memory loss will wander away at some point.  Of these 50%, those not found within 24 hours will not survive.  Some family members assume that because a loved one has never given any reason to indicate they would wander, that he or she wouldn’t.  But it only takes the first time.

The owner of Seniors’ Choice at home tells about the father of his Pastor who loved to take a morning walk.  As his dementia worsened, he continued to take the same path each morning.  One day he didn’t return as expected by 9 or 10 am.  His wife called her son who in turn alerted police and fire department.  As they searched throughout the day and called out for him, they would learn where he had stopped at various restaurants for water. 

Late that same evening, a neighbor who lived across a marsh from the gentleman and his wife, knowing about his disappearance, had some odd urge to go out on her back deck and call,”  Are you out there?”  Amazingly, she hear his calm voice answer her back, “Yes, I’m out here.”  The searchers had not seen where he had turned off into the marsh.  It took three or four firemen to pull him out of the mud where he had become stuck.  Amazingly, the worst of his experience seemed to be numerous mosquito bites.

Please do not assume a loved one will not wander away just because he or she has always been a homebody, or because he or she has never given any indication of wandering.  Check with your local Alzheimer’s Association about the Safe Return Program.  Look into some of the new technology that aids in locating lost persons.  An organization like Seniors’ Choice at Home (website:  www.seniorschoicemn.com, phone:  763-546-1599) can provide Senior Care, so that family care givers can have a break.  Sometimes a nap once in a while is badly needed.

Summer Help Available for Minnesota Caregivers

Could You Use a Little Break This Summer?

Care givers who take care of themselves find it possible to take care of a loved one longer and better.  Do you need a break from caring for a spouse or parent?  Seniors’ Choice at Home can stay with a loved one so you can have lunch with friends, go to a movie, play some golf or tennis, have a few days away at the lake for yourself, or even take a trip to Branson.  We also can provide escort service for those who would like to take a trip, but are unable to travel alone.  You can depend on the Seniors’ Choice Homemaker/Companions to provide loving, reliable senior care.

Seniors’ Choice at Home is a family-owned business that has been providing outstanding senior care in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area since 1995.  Check out our website at www.seniorschoicemn.com, or call Marilyn at 763-546-1599 for more information