Staying Healthy Archive

There are all kinds of free educational opportunities designed to help family caregivers jump into their roles and better manage their own health. Family caregiver education is available in classes or workshops you attend in person. The Internet offers how-to articles, videos, podcasts, books, and guides for caregivers. Topics range from the basics of caregiving to the more nuanced challenges, such as communicating with a person with dementia. Many classes focus on how to cope as a caregiver and maintain one's health and wellness.

Caring for a person with dementia is physically, emotionally, logistically, and financially demanding. Caregivers can benefit from numerous services, such as caregiver support groups; respite care; and dementia care navigators, such as the local Area Agency on Aging (which can provide a long list of resources) or a local hospital dementia care program. It can also help to speak to doctors about consolidating appointments for the person with dementia and to reach out to family and friends to ask for assistance.

Most people want to live at home for as long as possible as they age, and managing this successfully may mean hiring outside help. Considering this step raises many questions, and answering them honestly will help guide decisions about when and how to proceed.

A virtual village is a group of older adults who live in their own homes, near each other, and agree to help each other. They form a self-governing nonprofit organization and volunteer to provide village services such as transportation, friendly visits, errands, exercise and social events, a dedicated hotline, and referrals to vetted services and suppliers. The village won't replace an assisted living facility or nursing home, but it may help delay the transition.

There are many health-related requirements for living independently in older age. For example, one needs sharp thinking skills in order to manage medications, pay bills, choose clothes for the day, and select and buy groceries; and one needs strength, balance, and flexibility in order to get up from a chair, cook, or clean. People with weakening aspects of health should talk to a doctor for potential solutions to improve or cope with health challenges in order to continue living independently.

People with insomnia can quiet a racing mind or relax a tense body with progressive muscle relaxation, which involves gradually tensing and relaxing muscles, beginning with the toes and working up the body.