Caregiver Sheltering in place

Caregiver Sheltering in place

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Are you a Caregiver sheltering in place

Sheltering in place
Sheltering in place

Getting tired of being a Caregiver Sheltering in place?  Med-Q just talked with a working father as well as caregiver and father of three grown children.  He usually says he wanted to spend  more time with his kids.  For example, his toddlers were growing up with out him.  He complained about  spending to much time with them anymore.  However,  this week in a Face time conversation, this caregiver sounded ” be careful what you wish for”.

Not that he doesn’t love being with his family. However, Sheltering in place may be too much of a good thing.  In fact,  he usually does.  However, now it is WTMT (Way Too Much Togetherness).  He also mentioned that it is probably a good thing that there is no booze at home.

First of all, all of our situations are different.  However, a commonalities of caregiving is stress.  Another example, the physical toll it takes.  So what should a caregiver do when sheltering-in-place.  Especially if that is what is in the cards for the near future?shelter in place

  • First of all, try to  find a quiet place in your home.  For example, try a closet.  Second,  take a some deep breaths and count to 100.
  • Second of all, take account of the situation.  Who is in the home with you? What is on your plate.  Finally,  who can you ask for some caregiver help?
  • Third of all,  think about  what will be done after these trying times are over and we are released from lock down.

Sponsored by Med-Q Mediation Compliance Systems

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Activities can release caregiver stress

 A good activity when sheltering in place, journaling.  With journaling,  you ought to write something a couple of time a  day.  For example, have  a senior loved  tape record the stories from their youth.  This will be great when  sharing with grandchildren.  They will share stories with their future generations.

Facetime, Zoom, and Skype.

Sheltering in placePeople must  have digital time with friends, family as well as other loved ones.  For example, share the good times Again, commiserating your shared frustrations of living in the time of COVID-19 helps to remain positive.

Don’t forget to laugh with your family members at least once a day.  This is even more important when dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s.   Do this even if you may have nothing to laugh about.  Again,  smiling as well as laughing creates some extremely valuable and pleasurable endorphins in the brain.  Finally,  how you react to these days will have a lot to do with how your young children learn to react to the adversities they will have to deal with  in the future.

Med-Q’s staff writer  took part in a holiday Zoom call.  It coincided with my great-nephews first birthday.  Hence, the entire family instantly fell into the teasing and laughing.  Hence, the same things we had  shared in person during every other year.  As with every other time, the best way for caregivers to care for others is to learn to take the time to care for yourselves.   Remember, the goal is to make it easier for all.

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Get back to basics

caregiverConnie Steed is the  president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.  Also, the director of infection prevention at Prisma Health in South Carolina.  President Steed (background in a caregiver nurse. that worked in infection prevention for over three decades.) says:

I wish I had a magic bullet for calming people’s fears.  Again,  caregivers just  take a deep breath.  Also,  think about the basic things that can be done that can prevent the spread of any kind of infections. teed, who has a background in nursing and has worked in infection prevention for over three decades.  That means washing hands, keeping surfaces clean .  In addition,  keeping our hands away from our faces.

Finally, this is all basic, basic stuff.  Hence,  we don’t pay attention to it when everything is normal.   To sum up, right now, things aren’t normal, so it’s important for us to have heightened awareness about how important that stuff is.

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If you can’t remember whether you took your medication, what do you do?

What happens if you don’t remember if you took your medications?  When one is not sure if you took a pill, never, ever just take another dose yet. What could happen if you double dose?  If someone ingests an additional dose, the consequences can be deadly. In fact, an extra dose can raise the risk of harmful effects. Check your pill organizer, count the remaining pills in the bottle, or review the instructions that came with your prescription to find specific guidance. 

doctorHealth care profsionals are in agreement, “For most medications, it is safer to accidentally miss a single dose than to double dose” . Keep in mind that the pill/dosing guidelines vary drastically depending on the medication.  For example, it is different for  blood thinners or something like birth control.), it is always best to double-check with a professional.  If in doubt, call the local pharmacy you got the prescription filled.  Also, call e the America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 .  This can help if you are concerned about over dosing. 

For further guidance, consult I can’t remember whether I took my medication, what do I do? on Medical News Today. To help prevent confusion in the future, you can implement some 9 Simple Strategies for Remembering To Take Your Medication or read the Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Medication guide on WebMD.
 
If you are missing doses consistently, a few strategies can help get your routine back on track:
  • Use a weekly pillbox: These old fashion pill holders can be useful.   They show a quick visual cue to show which days  doses have been taken.
  • Use a Digital Pill Reminder: Medication reminders, like the Med-Q pill Box. have flashing guides.  These alarmed reminders help preventing over dosing. 
  • Try to do Habit stacking: Match up your daily pill-taking with a non-negotiable daily habit.  For example, your first cup of coffee or brushing yourhair.
  • Set electronic reminders: Use persistent reminder apps, alarm clocks, or simple smart phone alarm reminders.

What to do if Unsure?

The worry about over doing is real.  When unsure whether the dose has been taken, the best thing to do is speak with your health care provider or even your pharmacist. They will  advise you on the best course of action based on ythe specific medication. that is over dosed.

pill box for seniors

If you take oral tablets or capsules, you can count how many pills you have left. If you know when you started taking the pills out of that prescription bottle, this could help you determine whether you’ve taken your dose for that day.

Sometimes, when you haven’t taken your medication, there may still be time to take that dose. However, this could depend on the drug and dosing schedule.

Although in some cases, if it’s almost time to take your next dose, your doctor may recommend skipping the missed dose and taking your next dose at its regular time. Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose as doing so could raise your risk of side effects.

What happens if you accidentally take your medication twice?

Do not take more of a drug than your doctor prescribes. While serious side effects may be rare, for some medications, taking more than the recommended amount may lead to harmful effects or overdose. Some of the most dangerous medications to double-dose include:

  • heart maintenece medications
  • ADHD drugs, for example “Adderall”
  • medications for Type 1 Diabetes
  • prescription narcotic pain pills
  • psychiatric medications , for example “Wellbutrin.”

If you have any doubt, act quickly. 

Fist of all, contact your doctor right away.  Let them know you may have accidentally taken two doses or three doses of your daily medication. They will offer up advice.  The Healthcare profesional can often advise of what steps to take.  Also, they will let you know about symptoms to watch out for.

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