Caring for the Long Haul: How to Stay Healthy and Balanced as a Long-Term Caregiver Long-term caregiving is often an act of deep love, but it is also one of the strongest predictors of stress, burnout and social isolation if caregivers don’t receive the support they need. When a loved one has a long life expectancy but rising care needs, caregivers face a unique challenge: how do you sustain care without sacrificing your own health, identity and future? Read more
Supporting Older Adults Living with Mental Illness Mental Illness Awareness Week, recognized each October, is a time to raise awareness about mental health conditions and how they impact people of all ages. While mental illness is more often discussed in the context of younger adults, it’s important to remember that older adults also face unique challenges related to mental health. According to... Read more
Why Mental Health Counseling Matters for Older Adults May is Mental Health Month—a time to raise awareness and reduce stigma about mental health challenges that affect people of all ages. While mental health concerns are often associated with younger populations, older adults can and do experience depression, anxiety, grief and stress, especially during life transitions like retirement, the loss of a spouse or changes in health. Read more
A Quick Intro to the GUIDE Model for Health Professionals GUIDE is well positioned to improve health outcomes by encouraging use of community resources, offering caregiver education to improve competence and confidence, and enhancing access to medical and behavioral specialists, along with seamless coordination of healthcare and support services. Read more
Balancing Your Caregiving: Prioritizing Self-Care While Supporting Your Loved One Caregiving is an inherently demanding role because it involves caring for two individuals: not only the person you provide care for, but also yourself. This dual responsibility makes the role uniquely challenging, requiring you to balance the needs of your loved one with your own well-being. When you introduce family dynamics into this equation, the... Read more
Understanding the Impact of the Older Americans Act May marks a significant celebration for the nation's older adults—Older Americans Month. This yearly observance, established in 1963, is more than just a month-long recognition; it's a celebration of the invaluable contributions and wisdom of older Americans, as well as a commitment to improving their quality of life through important services. Read more
The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Older Adults and How Caregivers Can Help In many cultures, alcohol consumption is so engrained in social rituals that not drinking seems much stranger to people than frequently drinking. However, alcohol is never without its risks, and this is especially true for older people. Older adults are much more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol than younger people due to age-related changes to their bodies, medication interactions and other health conditions. And though reckless drinking is an issue most people associate with younger people, older adults, especially those in the 55-64 range, are more at risk of alcohol-induced deaths than any other age category, according to data from the CDC. Read more
WeCare…Because You Do℠ WeCare is a telephone- and email-based care coaching program designed to assist and support older adults living with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Read more
When Caregiving Affects Your Relationships There is no question that caregiving takes dedication. Your time, effort, emotions and mental headspace are all invested in this important role. Giving of yourself for the sake of someone else can be a beautiful thing. However, it can leave you without as much time or energy as you would like to take care of not only yourself, but your relationship with others. Read more
How Caregivers Can Help Older Adults Retain Independence Lack or loss of control can be a very frustrating feeling, and it’s one most people have to contend with as they age. A natural reaction to loss of control is resistance. However, for those of us who are caregivers, that resistance can make providing the support a loved one needs challenging. It can feel like having to do daily battle against a loved one’s stubbornness, and as frustration mounts, it can become easy to forget just how much personal freedoms mean to a loved one and how hard it would be for anyone—including us—to give them up. Read more
