Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson
Dear Counsellor,
I am taking care of two senior citizens. One of my clients is well and functioning adequately. The other person is confined to bed, and is proving a challenge. What can one expect when dealing with the elderly?
Ms. Brown
Dear Ms. Brown:
Caregiving is a popular career as it is big business, especially in the U.S.A. In taking care of others, one needs help and respite for oneself. You need to take time off for yourself to energise and refresh, refocus and to nurture. The prevention of burnout is important as it is one of the reasons people leave their jobs.
The population is aging and senior citizens will require a lot of assistance from individuals to cope with everyday stressors. Many senior citizens are mobile, working and maintain their independence. This group usually socialises with others of similar age or work with the youth as mentors and role models. To keep active and functioning mentally, one needs to be kept busy with activities and do reading and crossword puzzles. The brain and body need to be kept active or else senility will set in. Senior citizen doesn't mean disability. Whenever one retires then there are changes that occur and the individual needs to make adjustments and adapt to the new situation.
Some individuals develop dementia and gradually decline in their functioning. The many ailments that can afflict an individual are too many to write about. The commonest problems are diabetes mellitus, hypertension and arthritis. If an individual is dependent then their personal affairs need to be taken care of. One has to be prepared to work with relatives to do banking, shopping, going to the doctor and doing chores.
People like to be independent and one should endeavour to include the elderly in decision-making and problem-solving. The care of the elderly requires participation, cooperation and tolerance. The elderly should be encouraged to take part in activities, and go out and make friends. The relatives should as a group provide support for those who are dependent.
Many senior citizens like to talk about pleasant memories that they have of the past. Going down memory lane can be a favourite pastime. One other activity that can be useful is the reading of the newspapers to keep the individual up to date with current affairs. One needs to deal with the resultant isolation, whenever someone becomes dependent on others because of illness. Some senior citizens become depressed and would seem to have dementia. The depression should be treated, as should other illnesses.
Aging can occur without disability and people hope that this would be their situation.
I am stressed
Dear counsellor:
I am the mother of four children and I have a full-time job. My husband is very busy but is helpful in small ways. I am interested in a stress management programme to help me cope.
Janet
Dear Janet,
You seemed to be experiencing the impact of life stressors. Life is stressful and we need all the help we can get. A therapist would be able to walk you through the process to cope adequately with the stressors. In these days of multi-tasking, it would seem that the females are experts at working. I say that because a female has to be mother, helper, worker and relative.
One of the tasks that individuals need is to be organised so that their productivity can be improved. One needs to prioritise and delegate appropriately. One person cannot do everything. To help with household chores, some people have two helpers, one full-time and a day's worker. Some people have a driver to pick up the children and a reserve baby-sitter to stay with the children when the parents need to go to functions. It is an expensive venture, but some people who have the money are willing to pay until the children are on their own.
Some people utilise the services of their relatives to help with the children. There are many activities that children can get involved in, but one has to be selective and organised to accomplish the tasks. Parenting and caregiving is a challenge because of the many things that there are to be done. Time is a premium and good time management is key to be able to cope with the multitude of activities. Sleep is important and one needs to budget for this. Sleep provides the body with relief from the stressors, and the individual should feel refreshed when he/she awakes in the morning. Nutrition is important, as well-balanced meals will provide energy for the daily activities.
Support groups are helpful. If you are involved in your church, prayer meeting and Bible study will provide a nurturing environment which will enhance performance. Managing stress and enhancing performance is possible and individuals should seek help to deal with it.
Dr. Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson; El Shaddai Medical Centre; 9274824;
yvonniebd@hotmail.com.
