Caregiver burnout refers to being physically and mentally exhausted along with the feeling that you are unable to provide the best level of care because of it. While you may have once found your role as a caregiver rewarding, you may now have a negative attitude toward it. Caregiver burnout can occur over the course of a nursing career or when caring for aging parents or a life partner, although it can occur in other contexts as well.

As we age things are supposed to get easier. Unfortunately for some people, getting older comes with new stresses that our bodies and minds aren’t used to. If you or a loved one is experiencing stress related to getting older, here are some tips to help seniors relieve some of the physical and mental pressure. Eat a balanced diet: Ensuring that you are getting enough calcium, vitamins and protein plays an important role in relieving stress. When we don’t eat right or eat enough our bodies retaliate by making us tired, weak and stressed out. If you can’t eat three meals a day, try for two and some snacks. Eat healthy and nutritious foods like green vegetables and lean protein like chicken and fish. If you have issues with chewing, try smoothies or even meal replacement shakes that are high in vitamins and protein. You may also be taking medication…

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be taxing. Hiring a full-time caregiver or nurse is expensive and not always needed, leaving you to deal with your loved one alone. There is only so much care and stimulation that you can provide. Besides giving you a much needed break, adult day care centres offer many benefits for dementia patients. Adult day care centres allow dementia patients to experience a wide variety of services such as: Counselling: For someone with dementia, they may not know what they’re going through and how it is affecting their day-to-day life. Many adult day care facilities provide counselling services for dementia patients and their families. Some centres also have psychologists on-call that specialize in treating people with dementia. Nutrition: Your loved one may have special nutrition guidelines that need to be met. Most adult day cares will accommodate all dietary requests and provide nutritious…

You may have heard the term AREDs pop up when it comes to senior care. AREDs stands for age-related eye diseases and there are four common ones that plague seniors. Besides the big four there are also minor ones that also cause major discomfort in ageing eyes. Glaucoma: This disease damages the eye’s optic nerve leading to vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma is symptomless at first and the vision fade does occur gradually; however, the disease can make the sufferer very uncomfortable as it progresses. There are surgeries, eye drops and other medications that can be used to treat glaucoma. If glaucoma runs in your family, there is a chance that you will have it too. Cataracts: Our lenses are made of water and protein but when this protein clumps together it can create a clouding effect. This cloudy mass that blankets parts of the lense is called a cataract.…

If your senior loved one is looking for care services, you may have to take on that financial burden yourself. Even if your loved one has insurance and some money saved up, the cost of elder care in Canada can be quite high. Before you take out another mortgage on your house or dip into your children’s college fund, there are ways to help with senior care without going broke. Our tips will ensure your loved one gets the care they need at a price that works. Speak to your loved one and make a detailed plan of what they can afford and what you can afford before settling on care. Different people require different care and you may not need to hire a full-time caregiver for your loved one, or you may need to look into elder care facilities. Just because your loved one is getting older and isn’t…