Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 8

SENIOR CONSULTATION

BY PAMELA TRONETTI, DO, AGSF

Pamela Tronetti, DO,
AGSF, PMC Senior
Services Medical
Director

THE RESILIENT CAREGIVER
Understand your resources and your own needs to
better care for a loved one

Many caregivers suffer
from feelings of stress and
depression. They report
more health problems than noncaregivers. They may overlook adequate
nutrition, rest, exercise and hydration.
They don't always tend to their own
medical needs.
Being a healthy caregiver means
making adjustments inside and out.
Caregivers need to get a clear picture
of themselves, their mission, the carereceivers and other members of the
caregiving team.

Medical Squad

FA L L 2 0 1 7

Legal/Financial Crew

No legal job is complete until the
paperwork is done. There needs to be
a conversation about assets, power
of attorney, healthcare surrogate, living will, insurances, trusts and estate
planning. It will be stressful, but having
these important documents sorted out
will prevent serious problems later on.

Extended Lineup

This includes private-duty care, adult
day care, assisted-living facilities and
geriatric case management. Most caregivers, sooner or later, need help. It's
not because they lack strength, stamina

The Care-Receiver

Everything boils down to one simple
question: Are they safe? Are they safe
opening the mail, answering the phone,
going online? Are they safe living alone
or are they at risk for falls, poor nutrition or a catastrophic illness or injury?
If they are not safe, the caregiver must
work with whatever resources are available to keep them as safe as possible.

The Caregiver

Caregivers are heroes, but not superheroes. To avoid burnout, the caregiver
should have a clear picture of his or her
own needs.
Realize that you are your own caregiver. You have fundamental needs,
not just "things I need to do." Nourish
yourself with praise. Caregivers need to
tell themselves, "I did a good job today.
I achieved something."
We often ask caregivers in our support group, "If something happens to
you, what will happen to them?" That
sometimes sparks action-whether it is
an overdue checkup, an exploration of
caregiver support options or a vacation.
Because even superheroes need a little
help, and resilient caregivers know that. ■

IMAGE BY THINKSTOCK

Healthcare providers should be responsible for making an accurate diagnosis
and treatment plan. They also need to
be open to the caregiver's input and
accessible in a crisis. If possible, caregivers should consider going to the

same provider as their care-receiver.
That way, the provider will understand
what the caregivers are going through
and can gently remind them to attend
to their own needs.

or commitment. It's because the job
simply cannot be done by one person.
The mission is to keep the carereceiver in a safe environment where
basic needs, such as nutrition, hygiene
and medications, are met and the person is cared for and respected. A resilient caregiver sets boundaries. He or she
understands that decisions sometimes
need to be made with the head and not
the heart.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Parrish Medical Center