Care Training Online

Enabling Caregivers To Be The Best They Can Be

Elder Care

Learning Styles Across Cultures

by

I came across an article in a Training & Development Magazine. It is written by Sean O’Tool who works with Australia’s largest employer of Aboriginal people and it is about understanding the difference between traditional culture learning and mainstream western culture learning. He received a Churchill Scholarship to investigate best practices of teaching indigenous people in New Zealand, Canada and USA. 

Indigenous people around the world share many common learning styles which can be in conflict with the way most of our teaching is done in western culture where we use the expert-novice model. Those of us who work with many ethnicities, know that not every body learns the same way and unless we look at providing a variety of learning options, teaching staff to provide the care the way we expect them to will result in varying results.  “A common learning style for indigenous people is to see a demonstration and go away and practice privately until they master the skill” he says.  How many times do we actually nurture or respect this way of learning?

In the article there is a comparative table of the learning styles of indigenous and non-indigenous people. It was developed by the Aboriginal Human Resource Council of Canada (2007).  I hope you find it interesting

TRADITIONAL CULTURE             MAINSTREAM WESTERN CULTURE
Community is the foremost of all values Individualism is the foremost value
The future tense is dominant Tradition of printing and literacy
The world is understood mythically The present is the dominant tense
Goals are met with patience   The world is understood scientifically
Ownership is often communal  Goals are met with aggressive effort
Gifts are regarded as social glue   Ownership is reward for hard work
Work is often motivated by group need Gifts are regarded as holiday issues
Aging is a source of wisdom  Work is motivated by ambition
Eye contact is thought over-assertive Aging is decay and loss
Silences are acceptable anywhere Eye contact is part of conversation
Assertiveness is non-communal  Silences are a waste of time
Listening skills are prized Assertiveness is a basic social skill
Soft spoken words carry farthest Communication skills are prized
Nodding signifies understanding Emphasis carries the day
Handshake is soft, signalling no threat Nodding signifies agreement
Collective decisions are consensual   Handshake is firm, assertive
A faith in harmony with nature Collective decisions are put to a vote
Family is extended family A faith in scientific control of nature
Responds to praise of the group  Family is nuclear family
Responds to praise of the individual

How To Choose The Best Caring Option For Your Loved Ones

by

Find The Best Option For Caring

When a loved one needs to be taken care of, finding the best way to do so can be nerve-wrecking.

You can choose to do it yourself, keep it all between family members, have a professional come over periodically, hire someone full time, send them to a caring facility or even a combination of several of those.

Between all these options, making an informed decision can be very stressful. You have to consider several factors, both external and internal, to make sure your loved one gets the best possible care.

So we’ve put together a checklist that may help you with your decision. These are the things you should consider and ask yourself before making a decision.

May they serve you and your loved one well!

1. What Are The Essential Things My Loved One Needs?

Between family members that may want to help out and the many services that professionals and facilities can offer, it is essential to narrow down the core needs of your loved one before choosing anything.

Everyone is different and no one is going through the exact same situation, so you need to write their needs down. Preferably with the help of your physician, and base your decision off of this.

The best option will be the one that does a better job at covering all of these while being comfortable for everyone involved. By comfortable, I mean both financially and in terms of time-consumption.

So, when considering each option, list all the advantages to that decision.

Let’s take a caring facility for example. Maybe your loved one could benefit from thriving in a new environment, so that would be an important factor to consider.

Get the idea?

This of course, is not something that you should do by yourself. Involving your loved one and other concerned family members in this process is a must., as we’ll see below.

2. What’s The Best Option For Me?

You may think this sounds selfish, but it is actually about being sensible.

When making a decision as big as how your loved one will be taken care of, you need to think of your well-being too.

If you don’t include yourself in the equation, it can build up anger and resentment and fracture your relationship with your loved one and other family members.

Have you taken into account, the impact it would have on your own life and family? Are you doing it out of genuine love for the person and a strong desire to care for them?  Or are you doing it because you think it is your duty to do so?

Although it’s difficult, facing these questions will ensure that you step into this process with a clear head and well-organized priorities.

However, if you don’t, that’s when resentment, anger and bitterness can start to build up.

3. Call A Family Meeting

As we mentioned above, every concerned party should be involved in the decision. So once you have a good grasp on what your loved one’s needs are and you’re in a clear headspace about why you’re doing this, it’s time to have a group discussion.

First, gather everyone that should take part in this decision, including your loved one of course. After taking everyone’s points of view into account, try to narrow down the decision into preferably two options.

Then, get a large piece of paper and list the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options. For example, you could be comparing the pros and cons of staying at home vs. the pros and cons of going into a caring facility.

The idea is to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages for everyone. This way a result that is adequate for everyone is much more likely to be produced.

4. Create A “What If” List

Once you have a scenario that everyone, or a majority, seems to be on-board with, look to the even longer term and do a list of possible outcomes.

For example, if you have decided to keep your loved one at home with services coming in to help them, a “what if” list could include things like:

  • The professional carer suddenly can’t keep doing it and we have to find another one
  • Some family members move away and suddenly the caring responsibilities fall on one or few people.

As you probably noticed, there are two main lines of questioning to help you come up with the “what if’s”. These are:

  1. “What if” for the person: For this, consider at what point will you know that keeping them at home is no longer an option.  It maybe they are becoming increasingly lonely and are making a lot of phone calls to family members. Or maybe they are having more accidents around the house.
  2. “What if” for the carer: These are any personal circumstances that may occur to those doing the caring. For example, if it’s you, maybe your job has changed and you need to travel more; so you are not as available as before. It could also be that the number of calls you are getting during your work day is causing you stress. You decide at what point you could no longer keep up the role of principal carer.

Once you have your list of “what if’s” written down, it’s time to think about what would you do if any of those actually occurs.

That brings us to the next point on our checklist…

5. Develop Contingency Plans

At the same family meeting, you can also brainstorm what the possible lines of action would be if any of those “what if’s” suddenly becomes a reality. You could even start doing things as a family that would make it all easier when that rainy day comes.

For example, a very common contingency plan if you all have decided to care of your loved one at home would be to use a caring facility.

In that case, you could all visit some residential facilities that may be able to accommodate your loved one if the need arises.

It may seem pointless, but it’s the kind of thing that is better to face even before it’s even a need. It can also be a good bonding exercise for the whole family. Take your loved one with you as well and view some options together to get their opinion.

Your Very Own Strategy

The point of this checklist is not to tell you exactly what to do, but to illustrate the ways that you can look deep into your own situation and find the best solution yourself.

Hopefully you will soon have a “What If” strategy in place and a contingency plan. You’ll be prepared and most importantly, you and your family will all be on the same page.

The beauty of investing time into the preparation of a contingency plan is that if the need ever arises, you’ll be ready to action it without wasting any time.

On the other hand, the wrong decision at a time of a crisis can create a lot of anger, frustration and family discord if clear communication and assertive planning have not been put into place.

So be sure to go through this checklist with your family members and don’t hesitate to contact me if you need more advice.

Good luck!

Have a parent that’s causing you stress? Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can figure out what’s going on, maintain your relationship and de-stress each day.

 

How To Know When It’s Time For Assisted Living

by

Factors To Consider Assisted Living

This is a very tricky one because there are no hard and fast rules as to when you need to call in extra support. Rather, there are a broad number of factors that come into play here, so we’ll cover those in depth.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s case will be different. But over my years of experience as a professional caregiver and from my time managing a nursing home, I’ve found out that these are the most important factors to consider when making this decision.

The point is to take a realistic inventory and see if everyone involved would be better off by involving professional care.

The Background Of Your Relationship

By this I mean, what sort of relationship have you had with your parent or loved one?  Do you have a deep love for them? Or are you taking care of them out of misplaced sense of duty because of one of the following:

  • You feel it is expected of you
  • There is no one else to do it
  • You were begged to commit to never putting them in care
  • Their fear about leaving home plays over in your mind
  • They will take up all your inheritance

Or are you taking care of them because…?

  • They’ve always been there to support you and it’s time to give back to them
  • You would not even consider leaving this role to someone else
  • You have had a serious discussion with them and have committed to doing it for now
  • You would do this even if it took every cent out of your inheritance

Your Reasons For Taking Over The Caring Role

If you are being the caregiver because of any of the reasons from the first group, (i.e. done out of duty) then resentment and bitterness will probably take its toll on you. You will also not be able to do the job of caring as well as a professional.

In fact, you’re more at risk of deteriorating your relationship with your parent or spouse. Doing a job you don’t want to do for a long period of time is just not the recipe for doing it properly. Worst of all, you may begin to feel trapped in this role.

However, if you truly believe you are the best person to take on the role and you love them unconditionally, your relationship will remain intact or even strengthen.

If you genuinely enjoy the role, there could be an immense sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in caring for them. If you willingly give up some of your life for them, you will find the precious time you spend together enhances your life immeasurably.

Have a parent that’s causing you stress?

Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can understand the underlying causes, maintain your relationship, and de-stress each day.

How Do You Feel

Probably the biggest trick in knowing whether it’s time to have your loved one in assisted living is realizing when it’s too much for you to continue doing the caring.

I say it’s the biggest trick because no one can answer that for you – it’s your judgement call.

It means having an innate awareness of yourself and your capabilities. Also, looking inside and being able to acknowledge to yourself that you cannot continue in the role of caring.

Previous Discussions

If you’ve been reading Care Training Online for a while, you probably know that when it comes to the question of professional care or doing it yourself, I always recommend planning ahead.

This means having a discussion about how each person feels about professional caring way ahead of time. Even before it’s a possibility.

That conversation, should be something along the lines of:

“I will continue to care for you for as long as I feel capable and comfortable with the role. If I feel that I cannot cope or our relationship is being destroyed, will you accept my judgement and forgive me for having to place you in care?”

If you have had a conversation like this, you should now bring it back and not feel guilty if you have to let go if you can no longer do the job; considering that both of you agreed to that.

If you haven’t, perhaps it’s not so late. That discussion should also help you assess whether your loved one is ready to go into external care or not.

Your Own Promises

On the other hand, if you have boxed yourself into a corner by saying things like:

  • “I will never let anyone else take care of you”
  • “I will never place you in a home”
  • “I promise to keep you in your own home for the rest of your life”

Quite frankly, those are the best ways to build resentment and eventually feel frustrated about giving up your life to try and please another person.

As poetic as they may sound, they are usually just blanket commitments that are very likely to fail.

Why? You just never know what the journey will be like nor do you know if your health is going to allow you to continue caring.

Being in a situation where you feel there is no way out only compounds your problems and increases stress for both you and your loved one.

If you have said things like that and are now in this situation, just try to make clear that you didn’t know how hard it was going to be when you said it.

Then, have an open discussion about how far are you willing to go before turning to professional care.

Wealth And Property

Finally, I want to take a minute to talk about inheritance.

I’ve seen many cases where this factor weighs in when people are deciding whether it’s time to send their loved one into a retirement facility or not.

First, let’s get one thing very clear: the money or property a person amasses in their life is theirs. It is to help provide for themselves after they retire and this may very well include purchasing professional caring services.

In those cases, you shouldn’t see it as a drain to your finances. You do not actually have a right to an inheritance; only as much as the person is willing to concede.

That being said, you do have a right to what is left after they have passed on. But please don’t think of yourself first and your parent second. They have earned the right to purchase the care they want or need.

The Golden Rule

And I’ll leave you with this. If you only walk away remembering one thing from this conversation it is this…

As with all things in life; do the job willingly, with no conditions attached, or don’t do it at all.

 

Have a parent that’s causing you stress? Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can understand the underlying causes, maintain your relationship and de-stress each day.

So You’ve Decided To Place Your Loved One In A Care Facility

by

Decided To Place Your Loved One In A Facility

Once you reach a point where you can no longer manage caring for you partner or parent…

Whether it’s in their home or living with you… it is a heart wrenching decision to finally place them in care.

So how can you alleviate this heavy decision?

We’ll get to that in this article, plus we’ll cover some of the reasons that may have brought you to this point.

As you’ll see, it always helps to know exactly why you’re doing it.

Emotional Drainage

Firstly, being a caregiver to someone you love can be very hard on your emotions.

Because you know them so well and love them so much, it may be excruciating to constantly see them in their current state if you also have the duty to take care of them.

Your emotional attachment makes you extremely vulnerable.

So not only is your loved one feeling out of control of the situation.. but maybe you are too.

Overcoming Guilt

It’s normal for the mere thought of putting a loved one in care to be a source of guilt in the beginning.

And it’s a common occurrence when people don’t know what types of professional care are actually available.

The thing is, most people get into an unhealthy circle of expectations… where the ones in need of care expect their loved ones to take care of them, and the other person feels like it’s his or her duty to do it.

Some people are even groomed to take on this role for years in advance.

When that works for people, that’s admirable. But a lot of people put that pressure on themselves just because they are not aware of how good professional care can actually be.

So rather than feeling guilty, try to at least weigh the options out.

There’s a reason there are caring professionals. Some people are trained and do this well and your loved one may be better off under their wing.

Passing On The Role Is Not Necessarily Bad

If you’ve visited several caring facilities or met with professionals, it is likely that you have found all those terrible things one hears about residential care to be mostly false.

So if at first, the dread of such rumors is what kept you from seeking outside help, you can now let go of a role that perhaps you weren’t meant for.

Doing this almost out of obligation, without a real desire and enjoyment is just the path to becoming resentful.

If the role of caretaker was dealt to you without much choice, it’s time to pass it on to more qualified and willing hands.

Burning Out

Even if at first you volunteered to be the caretaker and eagerly accepted the challenge, maybe you have come to the point where you no longer feel capable of doing it.

As a professional caretaker, I’m here to tell you that that is completely understandable and normal.

Caring for someone can be really hard on the body. So if you can no longer sleep well at night, are not feeding yourself adequately and are overwhelmed with feelings of guilt… it’s time to let go.

Let go of the external expectations that say you’re supposed to keep doing this.

If you have reached a limit, it doesn’t help anyone if you burn yourself out. Those who were not able to help you should be thankful, but also understanding of the fact that you can no longer do it.

And Here’s What You Do About It

With a major decision like this…

All of the above are normal feelings and hopefully, both your loved one and your close relatives will be able to understand and respect that.

So once you’ve discovered why you feel like professional care is the next step, here’s what you need to do…

Inform Others Of Your Decision

So you finally get up the courage to broach the subject with others. What if your family members and loved one don’t take it well?

Even before you do it, it helps to know and accept that the reaction will vary.

Maybe your loved one will say things like “please don’t do it” or “I will help you more”.

And your family members may ask why can’t you keep doing it.

A lot of resistance can be met, but know that they are facing their own fears as well. This is normal too and you shouldn’t let it get the best of you.

So What Are The Options?

If it comes to the point where your decision wasn’t well-received, you are pretty much left with two possible actions:

  1. You can stick firm to your decision and face the consequences
  2. You can succumb to the blackmail and guilt that is piled on to you and keep going until you feel even worse than before

You’ve made it this far, so number one is obviously the most reasonable course of action.

Of course, communication is crucial in order to make it work. Let everyone one know exactly why you are considering professional care and why you no longer feel able to do it alone.

Even better, try to include them.

Once you tell them how you’re feeling, ask for their help. You can all look for caring facilities or professionals together. If they are your family and they care for you, I bet they’ll be glad to help once they know they full picture.

Have a parent that’s causing you stress?

Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can figure out what’s going on, maintain your relationship, and de-stress each day.

Important Fact: Not All Residential Care Is Bad

It’s very important for everyone involved to know that not everything about residential care is bad. We tend to hear the worst that is reported in the paper and often blown out of proportion.

But that’s mainly because scandalous and scary news is more often shared, so the news outlets tend to avoid the good things entirely.

There are many happy people in residential care. They are socialized, well fed and completely cared for. Basically all the things that you may be struggling to do on your own right now.

Commonly, people forget to think that their aging loved ones may be happier around other people their age than with someone that may feel burdened about having to care for them.

Take The Plunge

If you have taken the time to carefully check out facilities and you have found one that you feel will be appropriate for them, go ahead and place them there.

Yes it sounds blunt, but if you and your loved one relate well to the staff, are comfortable around them and feel like they actually care and listen to you… go ahead and give it a try.

You Can Always Switch!

Remember, if it turns out you don’t like the place after a while, the location doesn’t suit you or you found a facility you like better, it’s okay to move.

The whole point is to find what’s best for your loved one. So don’t be afraid of trying out a new place if things just aren’t working.

It May Not Be Easy At First…

Yes, at first your loved one may try to make you feel guilty about placing them in care; but I guarantee that once you walk out of the facility they will suddenly be fine with their new friends.

It’s almost like with little children. If you have kids, you probably remember how they cried when you left them somewhere new like kindergarten.

And as soon as you were out of sight, they met up with their friends and started playing and laughing, totally forgetting about you.

Placing someone in residential care can be very similar. It may be a hard decision at first, but if it’s for your own well-being, it will be good for those around you too.

Never lose sight of the fact that you are just as important as your loved one.

Have a parent that’s causing you stress? Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can figure out what’s going on, maintain your relationship and de-stress each day.

How To Come To Terms With Professional Caring

by

How To Come To Terms With Professional Care

When you decide to place one of your parents in a caring facility, it is highly probable that neither of you will be 100% happy with the care.

After all, the personnel can only do their best, but they do not have the same knowledge of your parent as you do.

Nor are they emotionally involved with them…

Although I’ve seen some truly heart-warming and attentive professional carers before, the bottom line is that your parent is not their parent.

They Are All Caring For Several Persons

But this does not mean they don’t care.

In my experience, they really do care very much about your parent. They wouldn’t have gone into professional caring otherwise.

It’s just that they have many others to care for as well.  

That means that they cannot afford to become too emotionally involved with those in their care. Otherwise it would just be completely mentally exhausting to do their job.

If every caregiver became emotionally involved with everyone in their charge as if they were their own parent… they would not last in the job for long.  

Naturally, they have to be practical about it and provide loving care for your parent without becoming emotionally and physically drained.

They Care, Just Not In The Same Way You Do

This may be hard for you to understand because you love your parent and want to make sure they get the best available care.

But it’s different to invest your time and energy providing care to one or two parents that you have known your whole life… than having to care for perhaps 5 or 6 people that you have only known briefly.

Also, the carers may simply come from a different culture, background or ethnicity than you and your parents.

Obviously, every person’s way of expressing care is different.

It doesn’t mean they don’t care… but that they do it differently.

Ways You Can Help Your Professional Carer (And Your Parent)

It’s hard enough to accept that you are not able to care for your parent.

Sometimes it can even be harder for the caregiver if you don’t tell them much about your parent and the things that are important to them.

One way you can do this is to compile a life story on your parent.

If you can do it well before they go into care, that’s even better.  

You can sit down with them and find out about what it was like for them when they grew up. All the things that they enjoyed when young or life changing events.

Not only will this result be very satisfying for you… it will also help the caregivers to better understand your parent.

And in turn, that will result in better care for your parent. 

Craft An Advanced Care Plan

Another thing you can do is take a look at our article on Advanced Care Plans and craft one with your parent. 

Again, it will mean you need to sit down with them and write down all the things that they consider important when going into care.

The best time to do this is when they are fit and well. It is like an insurance policy to ensure they get taken care of the way they want to.

It could also mean having to face some eventual decisions, like cremation or burial/funeral wishes.

Although I understand it’s not the nicest conversation to have, the sooner you have these discussions with them… the less stressful it will be for you and those around you when the time comes.

It also means that they can rest assured in their last wishes being respected, instead of leaving their loved ones with a lot of guess work.

It’s A Natural Conversation To Have

Maybe you don’t like to have, or even think about having, these discussions (you’re not alone).

But in my experience, most older people are very pragmatic about these things.

They probably have already experienced the loss of their friends or some older family members, so they know it will be inevitable for them one day.

If you sit down with them and have a conversation about their life, eventually it can move into things they have never told you and from there onto more difficult decisions.

With the right mood and everyone feeling calm and comfortable, it will feel like a natural progression.

Things To Remember

A few key things to keep in mind when coming to terms with professional caring are:

  • It is not possible for a facility to care for you parent exactly as you would
  • Plan ahead and write your parent’s story so the carers will know who your parent is
  • Broach the hard to discuss topics with your parent and give them not only the best care they would like but the best send-off they could have, i.e. one where they have input.

It Could Be An Extremely Meaningful Experience

Taking the time to sit down and talk with your parents could be the greatest gift you ever receive from them.

The things they can tell you over a conversation like that, are things you probably won’t forget. Wisdom that you’ll pass on to others.

So don’t be afraid. Start now. Well before a crisis occurs if possible.

If they are in care now, this will help to make your visits so much easier.

Remember, when a person goes into care, their world becomes very small.

All they have to talk about is what happens in the care facility and what their life was like before.

What better way to reconnect with your parent than to write down their history… to get them to talk about themselves?

Not only will you find out a lot you didn’t know, it will also make your time together more enjoyable and help you understand your parent, and yourself, much better.

For other tips on dealing with parents in care, be sure to download our Free Challenging Behaviors Guide.

When Fractured Families Make Life Difficult For Parents

by

When Fractured Families Make Life Difficult For ParentsMany families in today’s world are what we would call “fractured”.

And this very common occurrence can cause major distress for many members of families.

It is difficult to work out why a loving family can sometimes turn on those that love them, but it is unbelievably common.

Is This Harder On Parents?

It is rare for all the family to be involved in the fracture but the power of one person can cause immense stress to many.

Often the reason the fracture has occurred can be distorted over time so the original cause is forgotten… but this impasse continues.

For the parent, this is very distressing and very difficult to deal with.

They may just bear it on their own or they may discuss it with other family members to try and get some sense of the situation that has occurred.

Either way, the effect on the parent’s health is unsurmountable.

Stress And The Immune System

While the study of pyscho-immunolgy, or the effect of stress on the immune system, is a relatively new science, there is no doubt that prolonged emotional stress will impact on the physical body eventually.

You can see more in this article: https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/mental-and-emotional-impact-of-stress/

It used to be considered that older people suffered less from anxiety and depression but this is now known to be untrue.

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in USA affecting an estimated 40+million people.

While traumatic events like falls or acute illness may often trigger anxiety, the effects of long term family discord will always lead to such conditions…

And they may even lead to the fall or acute illness occurring, because prolonged stress does affect the immune system and a person’s ability to remain healthy and active.

Signs To Look Out For

So what are the signs of anxiety and distress in the elderly?

There are the common things like withdrawing from society, crying, insomnia, anger and so forth.

But for more information on the symptoms go to https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/older-adults/symptoms

Or watch this….

What To Do About It

If your parent is showing any of the symptoms, look at what is happening or has happened in their life, especially within their family.

You see, a parent will do anything for their child, no matter how old that child is.

It is something they never let go of.

Yes, they may not have been a perfect parent in the eyes of the child, but it is important to recognize they did the best they could with the skill set that they had.

Changes In Life Can Cause Discord

When a child marries or takes a partner another dynamic is thrown into the mix.

The partner may or may not have grown up with the same values and beliefs but it is important that this partner does not make the parent wrong.

What does need to happen though is the adult child must always remember whatever the parent has done they have done out of love. Rarely is their malice intended.

The role of (adult) children is to protect and speak up for on behalf of the parent as the parent no doubt did for them when they were a child.

You see for most people, when you were a child you adored your parent. You didn’t see their short comings, just the love they had for you and the way they guided you.

When you become a teenager, you hated your parent. They were unreasonable in your eyes when they were only guiding and protecting you to be safe and to enter the world of adult hood.

The Dilemma

As an adult your parent had prepared you for life and you wanted to make it on your own.

Your parent became less important in your life and, dare I say it, a little bit irritating as by this time you were able to think for yourself and objected to any influence they had on your life.

The parent had done their job but they may not always know it… because you are still their child and they want to continue to love, guide and protect you.

When they are old and frail they may become a burden on you, your life and your family but one thing is for sure…

When they are gone, you will miss them.

Help Decrease Stress & Anxiety

So have some compassion for your parent.

Mend all the rifts that may be plaguing your family so when the time comes say good bye to your parent free from any regrets.

Be proud that you did not contribute to your parent’s decline through sickness caused by stress and anxiety.

Help them to be the best they can be by giving back to them what they gave you – love.

Be a good example to your children and show them how to be a good child as an adult because you never know how your children or their partners will treat you when you are old!

Have a parent that’s causing you stress? Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can figure out what’s going on and maintain the relationship with your parent.