HHC Center for Healthy Aging offers helpful caregiving tips

Caregiving is never any easy task, especially when it is for someone with dementia. In this time of uncertainty, caregiving can become more stressful than ever before – for the caregiver and the person being cared for. Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, a not for profit member of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services, is providing suggestions for the caregiving journey:

• Consistency is key. Stick to a schedule, this helps the individual with dementia know what to expect which can help them to stay calm. Schedules and routines/ rhythms work to lessen caregiver stress also.
• Flexibility can help reduce stress. Go with the flow; things are changing for the person with dementia and yourself - adjust expectations as needed.
• Be thoughtful about what information you and your loved one with dementia are exposed to. The news, radio, social media and conversations can be overwhelming and at times can increase fear and anxiety
• Caregiver guilt is a harmful emotion because you are spending energy beating yourself up over faults that are imagined or unavoidable, especially with the current changes and challenges due to the COVID- 19 precautions. Adjust your standards from ideal to real!
• Caregiver worry can affect your mood and the way you care for yourself. Try setting a timer for 5 minutes and allow yourself to worry for those 5 minutes. When the timer is up, try to focus on something positive such as “how can I help? Who can I call?” Try to change your negative thoughts to positive actions.
• Caregiver anger is a completely real and understandable emotion. Rather than trying to avoid it, find healthy and helpful ways to address it. Consider practicing deep breathing, call in to a virtual support group or journaling.
• Caregiver grief/ sadness can be a very real part of loving someone who has dementia. Spending more time with your loved one can highlight their changes or losses of abilities. This can be very painful. Allow yourself to feel the sadness - expressing your grief to others can help you to receive the support you need.
• Caregiving can make someone feel as though they have no control over their own life, or how they spend their days due to the responsibilities of caregiving. Resentment is a common feeling for caregivers, especially when providing long-term care. You can love someone and still be resentful - calling it what it is to a trusted friend or family member can be helpful in processing this emotion.
• Caregiver defensiveness is normal in regular circumstances, but in light of the current COVID- 19 (Coronavirus) precautions it can be even more challenging when others offer to assist or give you helpful suggestions. It is OK to say yes to help. It is also OK to try things a new or different way!
• Loneliness is a very real part of caregiving in normal circumstances, but given the current social distancing recommendations it is easy to feel even more alone. Reach out to family and friends, look for online resources to combat the isolation, join a virtual dementia support group, or reminisce with your loved one about a time or experience that has pleasant memories.

Emotions of Caregiving

Vital information and important resources for caregivers, families and older adults is available through Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, a not for profit member of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services. Call Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging at 1.877.4AGING1/ 1.877.424.4641 or visit http://hhccenterforhealthyaging.org.