Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2022 i Australian Carers Guide SA/ NT

And while we might feel the need to maximise every minute, this constant pressure can damage your health. It exposes you to higher than usual levels of hormones linked to your ‘fight or flight’ response — contributing to health problems including depression and high blood pressure. Stress can become a bit of a cycle. When you’re under pressure you’re less likely to eat well and exercise. We may also resort to overeating, smoking or using alcohol or drugs to cope with life’s demands. These unhealthy habits add to our health problems – so the cycle continues. EXERCISE BEATS STRESS You might feel like reaching for a glass of wine at the end of a long day, but research suggests you’re far better off tackling your stress on an exercise mat…

If you provide assistance to a family member or friend who is frail due to age, has a disability, a drug or alcohol related problem, is experiencing mental illness or has a long term medical condition, Carers SA is here to support you Carers SA is the local Carer Gateway provider in South Australia. The Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative which provides services and support to unpaid Carers across Australia. For over thirty years now, Carers SA has been providing support to unpaid Carers across South Australia. Carers SA offers a wide range of personalised services, packages and information to support Carers from all backgrounds and cultures at no cost to you. Some of the services available: -assistingCarerstodetermine what they need. -togiveCarerspractical assistance. -provideone-on-onesupportfor Carers…

Note: if your older loved one has Dementia, seek professional assistance from a doctor or aged care professional. Reasoned discussion may not work and other strategies will need to be used. Even with comprehensive planning involving all members of the family, it is not uncommon for the care plan to be met with some resistance when it needs to be enacted. Many older adults will not ask for help and refuse to acknowledge they need assistance – they often feel they will be a burden to their families or lose their independence. The following five strategies can help you to overcome your older loved one’s resistance to care. 1. UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR THE RESISTANCE Ask your parent or older adult what’s driving the resistance. “Mum, I notice every time…

Senior hoarding issues are tough for carers to manage, both physically and emotionally. Hoarding can cause safety hazards like increased fall risk, blocked emergency access, and unsanitary living conditions. To help care for a hoarder, The Australian Carers Guide explains the difference between a pack rat and a hoarder as well as the emotions behind the behavior. They also share tips on how to emotionally support a hoarder and get them the help they need to make a change. Understanding the emotional side of this behaviuor helps you work toward effective solutions in a kind and gentle way. Hoarding is especially dangerous for seniors Hoarding is dangerous for almost everyone, but it’s especially harmful for seniors. They’re more likely to fall in a crowded home and their health will be…

1 Prepare not just one, but two budgets. One is for your remaining years of working, and the other is for when you have retired. In thinking and dreaming about how you want to live in your retirement, you can start to prepare and budget for it now. This will give you a better understanding of your finances and give you a goal to work toward. 2 Project your income. You need to understand and project your income in your retirement. Knowing how much you will have each month will ground your expectations and give you a chance to organise housing, transportation and future activities. Be realistic, and think about potential unexpected costs and medical expenses. 3 Think about your long-term care needs. A tough as it is, there is…

And why you may need one sooner rather than later Not for one moment did we think that one of us sisters would pass before Dad, but she did. She was the main carer so it made sense that she was the only power of attorney, the only one that knew his financial situation and bank accounts. In a week that we wanted to sit by our darling sister’s bedside – holding her hand, brushing her hair and fare-welling her my other sister and I couldn’t. We had to get Dad to his Solicitor, sort out the new power of attorney, find out where his bank accounts were so we could keep paying his aged care bills. Dad was legally blind and our sister had taken care of everything for…

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE 000 (TRIPLE 000) Emergency assistance 000 (24 hours/7 days) Lifeline’s 24/7 service on 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467 24/7 telephone counselling service Beyond Blue’s support 1300 22 46 36 SANE Australia’s service 1800 187 263 Carer Gateway 1800 422 737 Urgent mental health care for anyone having a mental health crisis: NSW Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 ACT Mental Health Triage Service 1800 629 354 SA Mental Health Triage Service 13 14 65 NT Crisis Assessment Triage Service 1800 682 288 WA Mental Health Emergency Line 1800 676 822 QLD 24-hour mental health care 1300 642 25 TAS Mental Health Services Helpline 1800 332 388 VIC Mental Health Services go to health.vic.gov.au for your local provider MindSpot Clinic call 1800 61 44…

“For me it was really my mental wellbeing that I was struggling with. I’m a 24/7 parent, I don’t have a partner that comes home and gives my daughter a bath or helps with dinner or brings takeaway home on a hard day or takes care of bedtime. It all falls on me. I was really struggling,”explains Dani. Dani is a single mum and unpaid carer who lives in the Adelaide Hills. Her nine-year old daughter Helena lives with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “Each of those diagnoses has their own little things connected to it. So, she has oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) attached to her autism diagnosis and pathological demand avoidance (PDA) attached to her ADHD diagnosis,” explains Dani. She says Helena’s ADHD is on the severe…

TRADITIONAL PILL ORGANISERS DON’T WORK WELL IN COMPLEX MEDICATION SITUATIONS The average pill organiser typically has compartments for the day of the week and the time of day – morning, afternoon, and night. More complex pill organiser systems can also account for specific times of day or more frequent medication doses. However, these pill organisers often don’t work as well when a medication routine is more complicated or includes non-pill formats. Scenarios that don’t work well with a typical pill organiser include: The medication isn’t a pill. Some medications are powders that have to be mixed with liquids just before taking, medical syrups, ointments, patches, or other formats. A medication must be taken first thing in the morning and then the person can’t eat for the next hour. A medication…

1. The impact of COVID-19 and social distancing requirements on our ageing population has exacerbated the risk of social separation. Re-engagement after lengthy periods of isolation can be difficult for many Seniors. 2. Many Seniors in residential aged care have experienced mental health issues during confinement to their rooms without visitors. Loneliness can also affect Seniors living alone, and even those who are living with their families. Men struggling with isolation can often go unnoticed, due to the social stigma that surrounds male loneliness making it difficult for them to discuss such issues. 3. Social disengagement can be experienced in many forms including psychological, emotional and physical, resulting in isolation and loneliness. This in turn can lead to mobility and cognitive changes in older people, who then require additional care…

Yet we all die. Have we truly lost the art of caring for the dying? A skill handed down from generation to generation up to the last one hundred years or so where we could now debate that our Western society has created a ‘death disconnect’ through the introduction of an institutionalised version of dying and death. One where many of us never participate in the care of a dying family member or friend or see a dead person. For many, our discomfort to talk, or in most cases, even think, about death leaves many struggling to engage in this space and creates a significant barrier to engaging in conversations and actions that benefit end-of-life planning and care. This disengagement leads to too many people not receiving care at the…

Wordwheel Find as many words of three or more letters in the wheel as you can. Each word must use the central letter and a selection from the outer wheel – no letter may be used more times than it appears in the wheel. Can you find the nine letter word hidden in the wheel? Wordsearch Can you find the words in the grid? They will be placed only once and may be either horizontal, vertical or diagonal and go either forwards or backwards. Words can cross. AGASSI BARTY BECKER BORG CASH CONNORS DJOKOVIC EDBERG EVERT FEDERER HEWITT IVANISEVIC KVITOVA LAVER MAURESMO MCENROE MURRAY NAVRATILOVA RYBAKINA SAMPRAS Jumbo Arrow-word Complete the clues to fill the grid. The arrows show the direction in which the answer to each clue should be…

I’D RATHER BE KNITTING Grabbing a pair of knitting needles and a ball of wool can be more than just a way of keeping busy. Research shows that knitting: lowers blood pressure, reduces depression, anxiety, and delays the onset of dementia. increases mood and dulls pain, as the repetitive movements promote the release of calming serotonin. reduces the heart rate by an average of 11 beats per minute. helps one to feel relaxed and useful. Source: knitforpeace.org.uk Did you know? Dark chocolate contains a chemical that our bodies convert into phenyl ethylamine – the same chemical secreted when we fall in love. The amazing cucumber The cucumber is more than just a delicious vegetable chock-full of vitamins and nutrients; it’s a super food. Here are a few of the things…

People become Carers in different ways. Sometimes they start helping someone out bit by bit. Sometimes it happens suddenly, because of an accident or illness. Carers can be any age. Parents, grandparents, partners, siblings, friends and neighbours may all take on a caring role at some point in their life. There are more than 245,000 Carers in South Australia. Who is an unpaid Carer? An unpaid Carer is a family member or friend who looks after someone with: A disability A mental illness Dementia A long term health condition An illness that is terminal An alcohol or drug related problem or Someone who is frail due to age What is the Carer Gateway? The Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative which provides services and support to unpaid Carers across…

Jay’s story is a perfect example of the senseless negativity gossip can bring. Jay was a retirement-home patient who I had instructed to take his medication before he started eating. People gossip. They always have and they always will, especially when they become anxious. So, wouldn’t you know it, a lady at Jay’s table got the false idea that the nitroglycerin he was taking was to prevent him from having a heart attack during the meal. And she went to town, telling everyone and speculating on what might happen. Of course, others around the table got anxious that something horrible might happen between their appetisers and dessert. The lady’s gossiping was hard to avoid and became quite infectious. Residents whispered among themselves and began to ask Jay if he was…

Here are couple of ways to be a considerate shopper, banker or customer, wherever you are: HOME FIRST. Arrange home delivery whenever you can. It’s easier, involves less waiting and is by far the safest approach for all concerned. MASK UP. As we’ve all heard, you can be a carrier without knowing it. Wearing a face mask or covering in public places helps reduce the risk of spreading. You don’t need professional equipment—that should be reserved for medical personnel. Wearing a face mask to prevent the transmission of the virus is one of the most basic things we can do to be considerate of our fellow shoppers. ONE PERSON, NOT A TEAM. Less is better when it comes to going out. Get organised. Make a list. Plan your trip and…

However, you may experience resentment from family members, and even have your relationships fall apart due to disagreements about care. Arguments can develop over issues such as the sharing of responsibility for care, the type of care provided, financial decisions and emotional flare ups. Here are some tips that may help you maintain the family bonds. Sole Carer Stress If you are the primary carer for a family member, the stress of managing your responsibilities can sometimes cause resentment and a feeling of injustice. This is a common response to feel this way, and you should not feel guilty for being emotional at a challenging time. You may feel this way even when you enjoy your caring role and feel privileged to be their carer. These feelings may negatively impact…

⅓ Australians aren’t getting enough sleep. Source: ABS Self-monitoring with self-awareness can help you get the sleep you need using the tool of acknowledging, assessing and assisting. Acknowledge Sleep is vital for physical and mental wellbeing. However, you may find yourself becoming sleep deprived if you don’t have control over the situation you’re living in. For instance, it is impossible to sleep when you are living with a family member who has moderate-stage dementia and who is consistently getting up in the middle of the night to wander away from home. On the other hand, the loss of sleep may not be due to the care recipient’s behaviour at all. Other factors can influence a caregiver’s sleep, such as your own physical condition (e.g., arthritis) or side effects from medication.…

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