We’ve heard it so often, it’s become a cliché: The baby boomers are aging. Still, it’s true, and as they age, they are beginning to encounter all the health concerns that advancing age brings.
 Natalie Schnaitmann, right, and colleague Joanne Man share a quiet break. (Photo by p.cunningham) |
And so are their family and friends, who often are finding themselves in the unexpected position of caregiver ― with little or no training.
From ensuring medications are taken — in the right amounts and on time — to arranging transportation, the stress can take a toll on caregivers. It’s enough work to sometimes turn the caregiver into a patient.
But experts note that caregivers can take steps to ward off stress, fatigue and illness.
“Caregivers are so focused on the important role of looking after an ill loved one that they forget to, or are resistant to, make efforts to take care of themselves,” said Natalie Schnaitmann, director of operations for the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center.
Schnaitmann draws comparisons to in-flight instructions on an airliner.
“Flight attendants tell you that you must first put on your own oxygen mask in an emergency before taking care of your children or dependents,” she said. “The same is true for caregivers; they must take care for themselves or they risk being unable to help either themselves or their loved ones.” This means eating right, sleeping and taking occasional breaks.
She also recommends education, and lots of it. Caregiving can be complex, involving everything from understanding treatment-related side effects to proper nutrition, not to mention symptoms of the disease itself. “When caregivers empower themselves with knowledge, so they know what to do, it can reduce stress enormously,” she said
Finally, Schnaitmann recommends asking for help from clinical social workers, other health professionals and family members and friends. “No one can be expected to do it all alone, and there is no shame in asking for help,” she said. “In fact, it’s the right thing to do for yourself and for your ill loved one.”
For more information on effectively caring for an ill loved one, visit the Family Caregiver Alliance’s Web site at www.caregiver.org or contact the Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at 626-256-4673, Ext. 3-CARE.
Nurses need a little TLC, too By Alicia Di Rado Studies have shown that nurses need opportunities to better care for themselves. Because nurses spend so much time directly working with increasingly sick patients, as well as their families, they may experience depression — but positive steps toward dealing with stress can help. That’s why City of Hope’s Spiritual Care team — part of the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center — offers nurses, physicians, technicians and other health-care specialists a little “Tea for the Soul.” The short, quarterly sessions of “me time” aim to help these health professionals decompress and relieve stress that may build up as they care for seriously ill patients. The healthier the staff, the better they can care for patients.
Experts note that nurses and other caregivers can benefit from techniques that reduce stress. City of Hope’s Kate Kravits, R.N., Randi McAllister, Ph.D., and colleagues have published research showing that art therapy, for one, provides a constructive way to cope. Learning relaxation skills and developing social support can help, too. That’s where Tea for the Soul comes in. Chaplains from the Spiritual Care team set out an array of back and foot massagers, trays of assorted teas, coffee and tea, dozens of cupcakes and fresh fruit plates for the caregivers. Relaxing background music completes the comforting scene. The chaplains warmly welcome the caregivers, many of whom share their stories with the chaplains and each other. Others just relax. Programs like Tea for the Soul have no better advocates than staff members themselves. “Can I borrow this and take it back to my office?” asked registration representative Anne Watson, jokingly, as she rested her feet on a foot massager. “Ohhh,” said ambulatory care assistant Kelly Parker, her back against a massager. “That’s good right there.” |