Care Partners

Home Instead is offering a Facebook Live series on Caregiving During COVID-19, now through April 27. The complete schedule is on the Home Instead website.

During the first session, Home Instead’s gerontologist and caregiver advocate Lakelyn Hogan was joined by CEO Jeff Huber to answer questions like

• Why are older adults more vulnerable?
• How can older adults reduce their risk?
• Is it safe to have caregivers in the home while social distancing?
• How can we stay connected?
• How can we manage the stress of caregiving, COVID-19 and working remotely?

Watch the Replay

Addressing Questions Family Caregivers Have During Uncertainty

Get answers to some of the most commonly asked caregiving questions that family caregivers are asking during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Home Instead's Gerontologist and caregiver advocate, Lakelyn Hogan, will be joined by CEO, Jeff Huber to answer questions like: ➡️ Why are older adults more vulnerable & tips for reducing risk?➡️ Is it safe to have caregivers in the home while social distancing?➡️ How can we stay connected?➡️ How can we manage the stress of caregiving, COVID-19 and working remotely?👉Join live Monday at 2:00 p.m. CDT with this post.👈

Posted by Home Instead Senior Care on Saturday, March 28, 2020

See also 7 Questions Family Caregivers Have About the COVID-19 Crisis.

In times like these, we need practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. The articles, meditations, podcasts, and talks on this page will help you build resilience and find some calm amidst the chaos.

If we can name it, we can manage it. World experts on grief and traumatic events offer insight in “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief” through the Harvard Business Review.

“Both/and” is a therapeutic concept, and it’s especially relevant now if we’re going to bolster our psychological immune systems along with our physical ones. Rather than bingeing on anxiety, this concept can help you to stay grounded in the present.

Journalist Dan Harris is providing sanity tools such as mindfulness meditations, podcast episodes, scientific interviews, and handy guides, and will be hosting live streams every weekday. Add it to your routine to gain even more tips, and if you’re a healthcare professional, you can access their app for free.

It can help to read how others are feeling and responding in this moment as well, at least to find assurance that you’re not alone in what you’re experiencing. Jamie Tworkowski from the mental health organization TWLOHA reminds us that hope is what will get us all through. Yes, better things to come are still on their way. For now, reach out to others and do what you can to receive support.

Crisis Text Line: In the US, you can text TALK to 741741 to be connected to a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7. (UK: text SHOUT to 85258. Canada: text TWLOHA to 686868.)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks from Santa Clara County:

English

Chinese

Spanish

If you are in need of a support group for depression, try LiveWell Foundation’s group

Greater Good’s Guide to Well-being During Coronavirus

The Healing Power of Laughter from National Comedy Center

Psychology Today: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” 

Wellness recommendations in “Self-Care Tips to Get You Through the New Coronavirus Normal” from KQED

In the podcast “Calm Stability in the Crisis of Coronavirus,” Sherry Walling gives some internal stability tools and tips to help turn down our body’s emergency response systems and restore clarity.

“Social distancing comes with social side effects – here’s how to stay connected” covers ways to strengthen bonds while keeping physical distance, and how to flex your capacity for empathy and caring in times of suffering.

This can be an especially difficult time to be a family caregiver. Here are some resources to help you and your loved ones cope.

CDC Guidelines for Family Caregivers

Recommended precautions for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a non-healthcare setting of a patient with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or a patient under investigation. Also available in Spanish and Chinese.

The Family Caregiver Alliance is a community partner of Avenidas.  We often refer our clients to their comprehensive on-line educational articles. The following articles are specifically designed for family caregivers in need of information for introducing home care, navigating hospital discharge protocols, organizing legal documents and understanding legal issues in general, understanding dementia behaviors and coping with the emotional stress of caregiving. We have also included articles relevant to LGBTQ caregivers.

However, there are many factors unique to each family caregiver’s situation. Please call my office at 1 (650) 289-5438 if you need an elder care consult and referrals to local resources in the South Bay.

Paula Wolfson, LCSW, Manager, Avenidas Care Partners

Recommended FCA Articles

• Where to Find My Important Papers: Organizing Legal Documents
• Hospital Discharge Planning:A Guide for Families and Caregivers
• Introducing In-Home Care When Your Loved One Says “No”
• Emotional Side of Caregiving, by Donna Schempp, LCSW.
• Caregiver’s Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors, FCA, Reviewed by Beth Logan
• Dementia, Caregiving and Controlling Frustration, FCA
• Caring for Someone with Incontinence: Emotional and Social Issues
• LGBT Caregiving: Frequently Asked Questions, Family Caregiver Alliance, reviewed by Helene V. Wenzel
• Legal Issues for LBGT Caregivers – I advise everyone read this no matter your gender identity.

Actually, this is the best article I have read on clarifying the use of these legal documents and why it is important for everyone to proactively complete these forms. This is especially true for marginalized communities who may have legal rights but experience discrimination or interpersonal family conflicts over 1) who is the legal decision-maker for health care and end of life treatment options, 2) who has access to financial resources, medical records and health care information, 3) who controls visitation rights 4)  who signs contracts especially for relocation to assisted and memory care units.

Paula Wolfson, LCSW, Manager, Avenidas Care Partners