Happy Holidays!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Make some good memories.

Relax, Prioritize and Enjoy Your Holiday Season

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and got to spend some quality time with loved ones. As we move into the major holiday season, stress and panic are two words that come to mind quickly. This is especially true of those involved in caregiving situations and those in the sandwich generation between being son or daughter and mom or dad as well as just being you and all that that entails.

Take time every single day to stop and close your eyes and take a few deep breaths -- in through your nose and out through your mouth. This doesn't take long and can be done several times a day. Deep breathing helps to improve your circulation. It will relax you and help clear your mind. When you feel the stress building or panic sneaking up to overcome you. STOP!! Close your eyes and breath deeply. It will help to stall the stress or panic and allow you to gain control over the situation again.

If you already have a great relaxation routine be sure to practice it regularly. And if you don't, these deep breathing moments can help you to begin to find a way to stop the dreaded stress and panic that can steal time and precious memories.

Make lists and prioritize tasks. As you cross them off your list, re-prioritize as the importance of some items may have changed. See which items you can delegate to someone else or work together to accomplish. Look at you list with an eye to how important in the long scheme of things this matter will be five years from now...that just might change how urgent it can seem right now. And then again it may add importance to the matter, but remember to prioritize things.

Another important tip to remember is to figure out which things you pushed to the bottom of the list because you really dread doing them. Sometimes if you get some of these things done first, the rest of your To-Do list seems much easier and less stressful. The more we procrastinate doing something we dread, the more it weighs us down knowing we have to get to it eventually. We don't really have a chance to enjoy the things in between because we have this nagging task lurking out there somewhere. Just do it and move on. It will take a huge load off your shoulders when you do. Or see if someone is willing to share the burden and work with you to get it done.

Caregiving can be a very thankless job. So be sure to build in some little rewards for yourself on a regular basis. Look for silver linings, but also make sure you get a little time to enjoy something you like to do too. Take time to read, watch TV, or rent a movie. Hire some respite care if needed and get out for a meal.

As the holidays approach, it's a time for reflection. Encourage family members who may be gathering to bring a list of questions fro your elder(s) to discuss. These may be directly related to your family, or just things in general. The population in their 80's plus has seen a lot in their lifetime. They didn't grow up with television, they listened to the radio. They saw air travel develop. They lived through the Great Depression. How did it compare to our economic situation now? They lived through several wars and may have been in the armed services. There's no better source of history than first hand information. Take the opportunity to fill in a few gaps. Record your conversations. And perhaps if you have several elders present you'll get a collection of history to pass on.

Most of all take time to enjoy the holiday season!!



photo from morguefile.com

Only Four Kinds of People in the World...

I was reminded of this quote when reading my ezine from The Intentional Caregiver today...

"There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers". ` Rosalyn Carter.

Medicare Open Enrollment 2011

Open Enrollment for Medicare in 2011 is coming up very soon. The dates this year are from October 15-December 7, 2011. This is an earlier time frame than in the past so please take note. You don't have until Dec. 31 to decide as was the case in past years.

If you need to enroll or change Medicare plans, it must be done during this time open enrollment frame. All changes take effect January 1, 2012 and cannot be changed again until Open Enrollment in 2012.

For unbiased information about Medicare and all of the options to be considered such as Gap coverage, Part D Prescription Drug coverage and whether or not to enroll in an HMO plan is available from the source itself...Medicare.gov. There are differences in the various plans and comparisons are available from this site. Specific Open Enrollment instructions are available: Click Here

Choose carefully the plan that meets your needs now. Understand that your needs can change over time and what was best in the past may not be best for your future health care.

Consider Scrubs When Caregiving

For anyone providing care to an elderly relative, friend or patent, scrubs are a great option for attire. They are comfortable, allow for ease of movement, and they are designed to live through being beaten up by frequent laundering. Street clothes can hamper the caregiver, and run the risk of being ruined in the course of a normal day of care giving.  Blue Sky Scrubs has been a loyal sponsor of this blog. I encourage you to check out their lines. They offer a variety of great scrubs and even provide custom made scrubs.

Understanding the High Cost of Medical Care

Here's a great article explaining why medical care can cost so much. What it neglects to explain in detail is that the negotiated insurance rates are usually SO LOW that the MD office has to increase the cost just to make enough to stay afloat in the office and pay each of these people. (Same with any medical office or facility.)

Some of the procedures could be shortened and made more cost effective of course, but then someone has to consult with the doctor or his medical group to set up a more efficient office practice, and that costs lots of money too that has to factor into your bill. Interesting.....

Never Forget 9-11-01

In September 2004 I stood at Ground Zero with my husband and oldest daughter. There is nothing that compares to the feeling looking in to that destruction and realizing how the world was changed that day. Never Forget!