Caregivers Watch Lists #5-JEALOUSY

JEALOUSY defined as an emotions triggered to an opposite individuals with anger, sadness, disgusts and has a feeling of losing something at the end of thoughts.

Jealousy also had big role in care giving work due to different attitudes of every employer. Some caregivers had a hard time dealing their employer if they meet friends outside during their daily routine of giving her/him walking exercise.In this particular situation we caregivers looking each others and waving hands behind their back and we understand what does it means.There are employers got jealous then keeping their caregivers inside the house without talking to any one even on their own cellular phones.If we are outside during clinic appointments some employers don't want the doctor talking to the caregivers specially if it is in English.And to the extended family and friends of where the caregiver was serving,some elderly don't like to see them talking or having fun and they got jealous.

I have been there before my early years in Tel Aviv and in other areas.That is one reason why I don't stayed them in long period of time working even they asked favor to stay or for an additional salary.In the first month that I felt and observed uncomfortable I immediately informed and asked the manpower agency as early as possible all things happening.Then I'm giving them my decision to go and end my contract whether they approve it or not.

Yes and yes ... I need to work for a living , I want to have salary every end of the month but what is money if life is in misery? For me I cannot bring money in heaven , I can still earn money without jealousy and just in a nice way as long as I'm healthy and safe .

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" alzhiemer patient"

Thanks to thuggie1 of this video on youtube.Giving on exact time of prescribed medicines for Alzheimer's is not a hard,hard task to do.For example today Alzheimer's patient take her medicines at exactly nine in the morning and four in the afternoon , tomorrow it should be in same time of today.If time covered is overlapped when taking medicines that will be the time they become crazy and wild.It hurts for those peoples around specially those who are near to their hearts seeing what is going on to the patients. Unbelievable because families, friends and neighbors who knew those patients. Capabilities and qualities of the patients itself is different of being who they are in previous days when they are together.`

On this video I found was stated some signs, symptoms and stages of Alzheimer's disease patient.Caregivers coordination's to the families of the patients is important to talk and hear the behaviour of the patients. Learning and coping up both strategy how to deal with in time of crisis or if the patient will get wild and crazy.One thing I observed and learned in my previous employer was how the son talk to his Alzheimer mother.Note if the families are already accepted the realities of having Alzheimer's parents or relatives, husband or wife's.The son narrated the happy moment's and the achievements of the mother during her early years that his mother was not yet suffering this disease. Believed me my patient/employer was smiling and laughing then , not in long period of time but in few minutes and it became silent and behaving in next hours.

Do you believed that Alzheimer patients can move things inside the house that you could hardly imagine? Or even you yourself you cannot transfer a washing machine from the bathroom area up to the outside door that is beside the elevator but if the Alzheimer's getting wild unbelievably they can do it.Note that I'm citing here an old woman suffering from Alzheimer disease but she is physically fit, she can make things alone but not in the right time and not in the right place or everything was in reverse way.I am always said that I'm not a medical expert nor a medical graduate, I'm just sharing what my experiences was and things what I've see and learned while I'm here as private caregiver.

Understanding to both caregivers and patients is one factor of having a success in caring of an Alzheimer's patient. Experts and specialist giving the life span of Alzheimer's patients but who knows when is the right time they go for rest and end their sufferings.

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Caregivers Watchlist #4-MEDICINES

Contrary to all medicines packages warnings and written as " Medicines stored in a place that cannot be reach by children's and infants" , for caregiver it should be another things to do. Based of my experiences the manufacturer should indicates these phrase I've changed here as "All medicines shall be stored and keep out to avoid reaching by ELDERLY Patients". Those patients night life walking around the corner of the house with their caregiver living in another room sleeping in a sweet, wet dreams. They don't feel their employer doing something like washing the cleaned dishes, fixing all fixed clothing, changing and putting pictures from their old,old photo albums to another albums and sometimes cleaning the floor while on the day time they cannot even buttons their blouses then let the caregiver do it for themselves.Lucky caregivers they have something to do and be their lifetime job .But it is the big wonders how it was be specially to the family members that during their visits the elderly parents showing different acts and stories.

One caregiver told me that one middle of the night she heard that her employer was in the kitchen . She ran out the hurries she could thinking that might fall but she found out Laxatives packages that the elderly holding and she don't know how many tablets the elder took that time.When asked by the caregiver yelling is the answer and who is this caregiver asking to her as employer. Employers(elderly) knows everything as they always said to us and we must followed them not anybody else around . The next day they called the ambulance heading to the hospital. After 3-5 hours taking laxatives you will called by the nature that you need to be in the nearest comfort rooms. Up there elderly putting all her energy to put out all what they felt inside due to overdosing laxatives.Over all stories and each ending " Everything of what's going on was the big blames to CAREGIVERS on that time working with them".Poor caregivers that can't help what to do but just to cry to spill out their feelings.

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CAREGIVERS WATCH LIST # 2 WET FLOOR

"Slipperry when wet" the sign boards that we can see if we are traveling along the roads and highways.Huge buildings and malls sometime you enter have a signages of "WET FLOOR" or "stay away this area" during that time of cleaning schedule.And caregiver's second major role was to clean the place/house where  they are working or staying like us here in Israel.In some other workers cleaning is thier main job not caregiving, while on me this is just a part or not compulsary but still I need to clean most of the time to avoid mis-conceptions  around here.

Must avoid to fall of our elderly is the one main word to put in my mine everyminute of the day. Cleaning is the hardest time for me especially when the elderly is busy looking for something then walking back and fort to where the wet area I am working with.Sometime reminding is worth nothing as she insisted of what she's looking for to do. So..usually I clean the floor if she's out or in the club house of elderly. Sometimes I did if  she is sleeping by closing her room door so that I clean other parts of the house

Most important part or corner of the house to watch if it is wet or dry are:

01. the rest rooms- most of the time they are coming in and out even they are not urinating or disposing there. Mirror is the one reason why they are getting inside then watching  always or fixing their hairstyle or some retouch powder on thier face and even the blouse collar they always fixing it.

02. floor area around  frigidaire- if the elderly still walking alone, they just go direct to get food or what ever they remember inside the the fridge.

03. chairs -around where they are always sitting most of the time, sometime it is already wet but they cant feel it or cannot be control to have pee on it.

04. passage or alley - to where they always walking in between rooms and rest rooms or way going to the kitchen and recieving room

05. There is one un-avoidable cases that usually the caregivers is the who slipped down. If the patient or an elderly living in one caregiver privately this was always happened. Patient that can move thier hands ups and down, sideward and backward they used to take off thier pampers in the middle of the night while this private caregiver was asleep. So when the pee is coming that always they could not control due to thier ages , before they reach the rest rooms  in just  2-3 meters distance all pees has gone and all down to the floor. How many times I was the one who slipped down , I always run to her room each time I heard  that she's moving. I put plastic and garterized cover  before putting the bed sheets so I heard the sounds of plastic cellophane . Thanks and good that I never brake my bones yet and not to be , huh! but followed by pains on my fat ass the next day, lol.

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MIXED EMOTIONS

I'm just finished chatting my family a while ago with my beloved mother.My father's death anniversary will be on January 27. One year of lonely thoughts of why so fast and instant death. Yesterday they started cleaning and fixing the area,it is prepared for a family tomb,so..we brothers and sisters put a big amount on that small house of my father in cemetery.Only one brother of mine will go home on Feb to attend, he used to work on a nice and biggest company in UAE with a good benefits that he could go home anytime he wants .Unlike us here , we always have vacation with our own expenses .

And yesterday was my son's 14th birthday.I'm very busy in the morning so I forgot to call or even send a text messages.Around 6:00 pm (ph time) I received text messages from them asking "WHY" and where I am. Immediately I dial and explained it.He was proud saying that they have delicious menu for his birthday. I almost cry hearing it, because those foods is just an ordinary food here in abroad but in our place that's for special occasions.He was very happy too that his classmates and teachers sung and greeted him in school even without a party.Most of the time if I'm too busy I cannot remember those memorable days.I need to focus on my work everyday.

Care giving is different from other kind of work , it is a mind concentration or an observations in every moves of the patients.It is also an attention of all times to look after on patients needs.A rendered work for patients satisfaction. I'm just lucky that my employer, patient is not yet on fragile situation that's why I have time on my personal things to do and time on my blog to write.

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CAREGIVERS TIPS

EXPERIENCED WORKERS WORDS ARE TRUE and NOT ALL WRITTEN ON THE BOOKS ARE TRUE.Based in my experienced since i arrived here these tips are all true.Not in one patients/employer but for all workers in each employer as they told.All my work experienced are patients suffering from an Alzheimer's diseases,a strong and dangerous patients I've ever had.Now the latest was diagnosed or what they called it a depressive disorder. Written below are the best technique or strategy to deal with any types of patients cases.

--------Offer visual help: To recall your patients memory, offer assistance like picture labels or pointing.
--------Be helpful: If your patient is having trouble placing a word or thought, gently suggest or try to provide what they're looking for.
-------Walk them through it: Instead of telling a person with memory loss what to do, you should show them specifically how to do it and even have them practice.
-------Provide lots of reminders: Remind your patient about events that are coming up.
-------Speak clearly: When talking to your patient, speak in slow, even tones with purpose so that you're easy to understand.
-------Speak only as loudly as you need to: Don't speak louder than you really need to, or you may insult your patient and make them frustrated.
-------Give them time: Give your patient ample time to formulate a response and don't interrupt.
--------Speak slowly: Don't rush through your words, or your patient may get overwhelmed by listening to you.
-------Talk about one thing at a time: Don't confuse your patient by changing conversations rapidly. Break up topics and alert them to conversation changes.
--------Use their name: Your patient should respond to their name, so use it before talking to get their attention.
--------Ensure that needs are met: Your patient will communicate best when their needs like rest, hunger and exercise have been taken care of.
--------Choose a quiet place: Avoid environments with lots of noise so that even hard of hearing patients or those that get distracted won't have trouble hearing you.
--------Ask if it's a good time to talk: Your patient may not be in the mood to carry on a conversation, so always ask if they're ready to have a discussion.
--------Avoid distractions: Communicate in a location that doesn't have a lot of distractions like television or pets so that you won't have to compete for attention.
--------Keep eye contact: Maintain eye contact with your patient so that they know you're speaking specifically to them.
--------Offer encouragement: Say things like, "I understand," or "Tell me more."
--------Gently touch their arm or shoulder: Get their attention with a soft touch, and speak to them when they look at you.
--------Always be aware of your own nonverbal cues: Your voice and body language will go a long way in your communication, so be sure that they're saying what you really mean.
--------Use hand signals: If your patient is hard of hearing, supplement your words with simple hand signals.
--------Maintain a comfortable distance: Although care giving may have you in close contact often, it's not always comfortable to communicate in close quarters, so keep your distance.
--------Write out words: If your patient can't understand what you're saying, try writing it out to make things clearer.
--------Take a deep breath: Try deep breathing to relax before a conversation
and take deep breaths to calm down if the discussion turns difficult.
--------Always acknowledge your patient: Don't talk about your patient with others as if they're not there. Bring them into the conversation so that they can be involved as well.
-------Treat the patient as an adult: Always ask the patient to do something instead of telling them.
-------Be responsive: When your patient wants to talk, listen, and pay attention to nonverbal cues.
-------Listen: Carefully listen to what your patient is saying instead of quickly moving on to the next topic.
------Avoid arguing: Remember that your patients needs are the primary concern, and instead of arguing, focus on meeting needs.
------Acknowledge feelings:It's important that you acknowledge the feelings of your patient so that they have someone to talk to and don't feel alone.
------Pay attention to behavior: Consider whether your patients words and behavior seem to match, or if they have something else they'd really like to say.
------Be friendly: Laugh and use humor whenever it's appropriate to relieve tension and enjoy conversing with each other.
------Ask questions: Don't hesitate to ask a follow up question if thing not clear to you.
------Stay organized: As a caregiver, it's your responsibility to ensure that your patient's needs are carefully handled, so make sure that you have all of the information at hand when working with others.
------Ensure that the doctor knows what you're doing: Don't let the doctor talk to your patient and leave you out of the loop. Ask to be told about instructions and important details
------Be patient: Dealing with doctors, insurance, and other patient needs can be trying, but it's important for their sake that you remain calm.
------Take time with decisions: Don't feel pressured into making on-the-spot decisions if you don't have to. Take the time to discuss it with your patient and the family first.
------Find out all of your doctor's details: Gather information about office hours, medical emergencies, after hours care, and alternative practitioners..
------Do your research: Learn everything you can about your patient's condition so that you can make good decisions about their care and be able to discuss it with them.
------Be persistent: Don't give up just because getting through is difficult. Remember that the health of another person is in your hands.
------Take notes: List some important things especially when discussing with the doctor .
------Be honest: Don't keep important information to yourself just because it's embarrassing. Discuss incontinence, emotional outbursts, and other issues if they come up.
------Be clear and specific: don't assume that others know what you want or need, tell them directly what you need.
------Be sure you completely understand: Be absolutely sure that you understand what you've discussed by asking for clarification.
------Talk openly about concerns: When talking with family members, don't shy away from topics of worry and fear. They need to be addressed, and will always come up eventually.
------Make calls at a good time: During rest hour ,no phone calls to reieved
------Keep the doctor in the loop: Make sure that your patients doctor is well informed about complications like fever, drainage, and bleeding.
------Don't gossip:Talking with someone in front of the patients is not good as they thought that you are sharing information about thier privacy and secrets.
------Establish a relationship:Be frriendly to other worker who is also working with your patients.
-----Always ask questions about new medicine: Find out how long you should give the medicine for, how it should be administered, and other important details.

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