Coping With Inappropriate Behavior Caused by a Brain Injury

There are many different types of brain injuries, but certain behavioral difficulties are common regardless of the type of brain injury that occurs. Some inappropriate behaviors caused by a brain injury may be more or less likely based on the area and severity of the trauma, but your loved one might demonstrate one or more of these behaviors throughout TBI recovery, regardless of the specifics of the injury.

Caregiving With Your Siblings: Working With a Mediator

When you’re caregiving with your siblings to make sure the needs of your aging parents are satisfied, even the closest brothers and sisters can find themselves in disagreement. Stress levels and emotions are, of course, running high. Add to that your past family history and dynamics, which have a tendency to resurface during the course of challenging times, and it’s not hard to see how troublesome this stage in life…

Let Go of Feeling Overwhelmed by Caregiving During the Holidays. Simplify.

The holidays are an ideal time to spend time with friends and family, but it’s not quite what you would call a relaxing time of year. The hustle and bustle, from shopping to social gatherings to family get-togethers, can be incredibly stressful and leave you feeling overwhelmed during the holidays, and when you have someone you love to care for, your own tasks can be neglected.

Give the Gift of Self-Care for Family Caregivers This Holiday Season

It’s the most merry and bright time of the year! However, if you’re one of the millions of people in the U.S. who is caring for an older loved one, the approaching holiday season may feel more like the most stress-filled time of the year. Carving out time for self-care for family caregivers is often relegated to the very bottom of the to-do list, but the home care professionals at…

Tips on How to SMILE Through Caregiving Challenges

Stop for a moment to close your eyes and visualize yourself like this: You’ve spent most of your life providing care for and helping others – as a mother or father, in your occupation, through volunteering in your community, and as a grandparent. After a lifetime of living independently and being in control of all of your decisions, you have now aged to the point that you actually are the…

Signs of Elder Abuse in Senior Loved Ones

While it goes without saying that abusing an older adult is something that would never even occur to most people, it is a tragically prevalent circumstance in the U.S. Elder abuse can occur in many forms, from physical to emotional, and it affects the most frail and vulnerable among us.

Is It Caregiver Burnout or Compassion Fatigue?

Care providers devote so much of themselves to those they care for – both physically and emotionally. It’s common to become worn down and to start to experience feelings such as apathy, weariness, and a detachment from the person in your care. Referred to as compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress, it can be harmful to your own health and wellbeing but may also impact your ability to be as…

Top Tips for Minimizing Family Caregiver Stress

Family caregiver stress is unavoidable, and in reality, not always a bad thing. Basically, as they say, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” But particularly for family caregivers, the level of stress can quickly intensify and become overwhelming, and if not handled properly, bring on serious health concerns.