Author: castrogiovanni007

Caregiver Basic 101 tips

On By castrogiovanni0072 Comments
  1. Be sure your HEART is in your work.
  2. Learn about your patient / loved one. Who are they? What do they like and not like? How is their personality type? If they can speak, find out their life story? What type of character do they have?
  3. Treat your person with dignity, which means applying the likes and dislikes noted in #2 above:  Remember, whether a person can see, hear, feel or think, people need touch. Holding a hand, rubbing a forehead, a foot, etc, is not only soothing, but feeds the spirit. It is a contributor to the healing process of body, mind, soul and spirit.
  4. Go the extra mile. Just because someone is stuck in bed, does not mean that the little details no longer matter: Having one’s hair done with care, keeping the fingernails and toenails clipped or painted, for women – pluck eyebrows, for men and women – shave…and when you dress them, instead of a hospital gown – put clothes on the person that he or she would like. This extra mile is what I call dignity.
  5. Imagine YOU were the patient. How would you want to be treated? Then, behave accordingly toward others.
  6. TALK to your person. Most patients / loved ones can hear even if in a non-conscious state. This can keep a person going.
  7. No matter what, be positive. No fighting with others near your person that is trying to heal. No negative emotions or behaviors. The atmosphere created in the room is crucial to the healing process. If you need to vent – do it away from the patient / loved one. Bring your best to the table.
  8. Resolve needs quickly, don’t wait til “later.” Do it right away (again, dignity!). Things like re-positioning, diaper changes – things you cannot “plan.”  Never yell at your person because of these needs.
  9. Do the proper clean up: whether it is the hospital bed, normal bed, a person’s physical body or the items around them: keep it clean and sanitized. Letting these things get away from you will stack them up against you and it will tumble you down. Have a plan, a routine.
  10. Be organized. The more organized you are, the more you save TIME. Medical supplies, meds, cleaning supplies, diapers…have back up supplies to avoid running out and being in an emergency situation.
  11. Care for your person like you are running a business that matters. This is dignity to yourself. Don’t just show up and ‘go with the flow’ – that is a road to disaster. Make your time count.
  12. Be thankful to have a career in caring – it is a great way to show love and embrace real needs in this world; MAKE A DIFFERENCE by choice.

BLESSINGS to all that are checking my blogs. These are tips from the heart meant to be beneficial and helpful.  This way we CARE in a win-win way.

Attitude is Everything

On By castrogiovanni0073 Comments

I am just a normal, everyday person. Because I know the rain falls on the just and unjust, I’ve chosen not to analyze my life’s trials as a “woe is me.” Instead, I chose to work on my attitude (and lean on my Faith) to get me through it all.

At first, it was just survival. Yet, over time I realized that there was purpose to all trials. By getting through them in a mentally healthy way, I found I was growing as a person. And, the healthier I became as a caregiver, the better it was for the person I was caring for.

Whether a trial was surrounding sickness and/or death, this became a deeply personal issue of transitional preparation. I would ask myself, “How and what am I going to contribute to this situation?” It took me going through several situations to really “get” how important my attitude was to the equation.

Personal example:  I brought my Grandma Saluccio home to live with me after my dad passed away. She was 96 at that time and a very difficult woman. She was with me for 3 years. Her last year she thought a lot about her death and made a list of “requirements” for me to do with respect to her burial. I did not have a lot of money at that time and her wishes were huge and expensive. Yet, I knew it had to be done “or else” (haha).  For instance, she wanted a Cherry wood casket, blue silk lining inside the casket, wanted to be buried with her bible, with a corset on, and in a certain outfit, wanting a priest out of the area to handle her service at her grave site, also out of the area.

Life was hectic already with a severely disabled husband, 3 kids (and 2 other kids living with us), plus I worked full-time. I knew it was important to honor her wishes, so I had to find a way. We called the Coroner and asked if we could build her casket ourselves and transport her body out of the area. No requirements to build and a permit to transport. Everyone thought we were a little crazy. But my husband, a good friend, my sister and I all decided to do it. We stained an affordable wood the cherry wood color, bought the silk and padding and glued it into the inside, hired the priest, picked up her best friend and proceeded to drive her to the grave site 3 hours away. And, we not only got it all done but it only cost $800.00 since we did it ourselves. This was affordable for my sister and I, and we were able to let her rest in peace and we could rest knowing she was respected (dignity). Believe me, she was a mean old woman (some times she’d spit on me) and yet I love her unconditionally so that she could have that peaceful transition.  For me, I was able to move forward without regret. My sister too.

Moral of the example: We had to let our HEARTS lead to do the right thing.  It was our attitude that saw us through (and our Faith). It was hard work, but more rewarding in the big picture.

Trials usually creep up on us all. Tragedies happen In The Blink of An Eye (such as my daughter’s brain damage); hence our Foundation website: http://www.BlinkofanEyeFoundation.org. Sickness can hit and it is unknown how long it will last. Death can be sudden, expected or come where we are totally caught off guard. However, if your toolbox is empty and the weight of the situation is on you and your attitude is stuck, the outcome will be less desirable.

I have experienced all of the above and while in survival mode, my toolbox was empty. Over time I’ve learned to ‘almost instantly’ turn my attitude around by reaching into my inner toolbox and embrace whatever is going on, knowing I will not only get through it, but may be able to help someone else in the process. Results: My inner peace has grown, my energy level increased – making me more able. I have witnessed better outcomes and literal miracles. Seeing miracles builds ones faith for whatever else might come!

No one is free from stuff happening in life. How we respond is what matters.  My husband teases me in that my initial response for one second is to scream (LOL)…THEN I become the most stable and enduring person for the bigger picture. Maybe I need that first scream to FEEL and then the attitude kicks in?  And, a good attitude doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings or moments of crying or grief or … But overall a joy can be found in the midst of the storm.

Thanks for visiting me and allowing me to blog into your world 🙂

Blessings,

Sandy