Caregivers never take a break because though they may not be physically present, mentally, they do not let go of their responsibilities. Relaxation is extremely difficult for a lifetime family caregiver because being “on” and ready to respond in an instant is a part of their innermost being. They do not have an off switch.
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The Importance of Understanding Lab Values Why is understanding lab values an important skill for a caregiver? After all, the doctor reads the lab work and tracks what is going on with your family member. Why not trust them to handle that part of the care alone? Advantages of Knowing Lab Values Understanding lab work
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Vital Signs Each time you call a doctor to report a concern about your family member’s health, expect a question about their blood pressure, breathing, or temperature. Vital signs tell the doctor a lot about what’s happening inside the patient’s body, where the eyes can’t see. The five primary vital signs combined paint a picture
Adapting to Caregiving requires a Knowledge of Healthcare Operations Although knowing legal rights is important, understanding medical terminology and how hospitals function is critical when navigating anything related to healthcare. Entering the world of healthcare is like entering a foreign country. Health care workers speak their own language. Their hierarchy of leadership and
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Mental and Physical Effects of Caregiving Research by organizations such as the Centers for Medical Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), and the American Association of Retired People (AARP) shows the significant and long-term impact of caregiving. Based on their research, caregivers who provide continuous care for long periods
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Tube Feedings for Eating Disorders (Focus on Pediatrics) If you are the parent of a child struggling to eat and not gaining weight, your physician may have warned that the next step to prevent malnutrition is to insert a gastric tube for tube feedings. When tube feedings begin, a family caregiver learns to insert a
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Types of Ostomies When many people hear “ostomy,” they immediately think of colostomy. However, there are many types of ostomies, besides a colostomy, that a caregiver might encounter. An ostomy is any surgical opening created to connect an internal organ to the outside of the body. Most function to eliminate bodily waste, but
Safe Medication Management Managing medication is all about knowing what, how, and when is the best way to take a medicine to have the best outcome. In addition, it’s important to understand why you’re taking medicine and what you should expect to happen when you take it. For example, many medications can act like poisons
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Emergency Airway Management Techniques Airway Obstructions -Choking Emergency airway management for choking focuses on helping individuals use their natural reflexes to cough out what is choking them or create an artificial cough using the Heimlich maneuver. Though tempting, do not slap someone on the back who is coughing while choking. When we get an irritant
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Retiring with Social Security and Medicare Social Security and Medicare are Part of a Government-Sponsored Retirement Plan Social Security and Medicare are part of a government-sponsored retirement plan for qualified working Americans. If you held a job that earned over a set amount each year (amount changed over time) throughout your working lifetime, you paid
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