Four Tips for Dealing with Caregiving Stress
The biggest problem with being stressed out as a caregiver is that you can’t keep running at that speed forever. You’re going to have to have a plan for reducing your stress levels and that might not be easy to do in your current situation. That’s where these steps can help.
In-Home Care in Westfield IN: Caregiving Stress
Realize that it’s Okay to Admit that a Situation Isn’t Working
Lots of times caregivers are worried about admitting that something about the caregiving situation isn’t working. It’s okay to admit that something isn’t functional, especially if your next step is to work toward resolving what isn’t working. This might be a stage that you need help with, and that’s okay, too. Working with an experienced care management professional opens doors for you that you didn’t even know to knock on.
Look at What You Might Be Able to Change
Your next step is to look at what you can actually change and what is carved in stone. There is a lot more that you can be flexible about than you might think possible, no matter where you are in your caregiving journey. There may be ways for you to outsource some of the aspects of caregiving that are most stressful for you and for your senior, so it makes sense to take those steps.
Take Some Action Once You Have More Information
Information gathering is great and really important, but you can’t stay in that stage forever. Once you have a handle on what needs to be done, it’s time to do it. This is where care management professionals can help you even more. They can connect you with the resources that you need to make sure that your senior’s needs are covered and that yours are, too.
Beef up Your Toolkit
Next, you want to make sure you’re covered for the future, too. This means adding as many tools to your toolkit as you can for managing stress. Does your way of eating drain you rather than giving you energy? Time to make a change. Do you need more emotional support? Consider joining a caregiver support group. There are endless options you can look to in order to keep yourself charged up and ready to go as a caregiver.
It’s a really good idea to periodically keep reviewing what’s working and what isn’t. Your senior’s situation is going to continue to change, as will yours. Different stressors are going to become more prominent or fade into the background.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering In-Home Care in Westfield, IN, please call the caring staff at Home Services Unlimited. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: 317-471-0775
A Distinguished Career From Nurse to Director of Nursing to President of Home Services Unlimited
Etelka’s distinguished career followed a logical progression to her position as President of Home Services Unlimited. She graduated as a nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Nursing (RN) in 1972 from Meshgorya University in the Ukraine, close to where she lived with her family. She married her husband Phil in 1973 and decided in 1977 that they would relocate to the United States to be closer to family and to come to this land of opportunity. With an eagerness to continue her budding career, Etelka sat for and passed her Boards in the U.S. in 1979.
A Love and Talent for Working with the Elderly
Etelka began her nursing career in the U.S. at Colonial Crest, now part of Golden Living, where shewasthe In-service Coordinator, the Director of Training and Education and Director of Nursing, a position she occupied for several years.
With a group of partners, she co-founded Adept Corporation, which operated group homes for the mentally challenged. The business was successful and in 1996, Etelka sold her share to return to her roots, caring for the elderly.
In January of 1997, Etelka opened Home Services Unlimited as a fully licensed business to provide home health care. In her quest to learn to do better for her patients, she had already obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) in May of 1990 from the College of St. Francis. As President of Home Services Unlimited, Inc., Etelka guides the trusted, experienced care model Home Services Unlimited uses to continue providing excellent home health care.
Giving Back to the Community of Indianapolis
Volunteering for community services is a high priority for Etelka. Her memberships include the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Executive Women in Health Care and the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Etelka has also served on the Board of Directors with Hooverwood Home, a highly regarded geriatric facility, since 1997 and as the President for 2005-2006. Through her community work, she has received several awards and accolades, including the Nora McFarland award in 2002, from the Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
Etelka was honored as a “Health Care Hero” by the Indianapolis Business Journal. The issue can be read online here:
http://mags.ibj.com/activemagazine/welcome/html/ibjhch.html.
After clicking on the link, then click on the image of the issue’s front page. After that, you can browse through the issue or click in a box near the top of your internet browser to adjust the page to 17, which is where Etelka’s article appears.
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