Consider the following scenario. There are 30 elderly people in a nursing home, all aged 70, 80, some even over 90. The nurses work in shifts to take care of them. During the evening shift, all 30 seniors are cared for by one nurse (let’s call her Naama); Together with 2-3 assistants and some qualified therapists.
Naama has to make rounds; give them the meals; help them change clothes; put them to bed, give them snacks to eat; Empty the trash cans in the rooms and a sheet of tasks with the help of little manpower.
During the work, she is constantly interrupted with problem after problem. One of the elderly shouts loudly that he wants to go home. Another lays down on the floor and refuses to get up. Nursing is literally a one-man army, and the ridiculously stressful situations are just another typical day at work.
Shortage of personnel and shortage of qualified caregivers in nursing homes-
These are the experiences of nurses in the USA and Israel. Lack of personnel in nursing homes have brought the profession to extreme and insane human pressure.
How are a handful of people (at most two nurses and 4 therapists) supposed to deal with all this? In addition to conversations, care and love for the elderly – and then fill out all the reports without staying overtime?!
The short answer is – impossible! Something must go wrong when the nurse has to take care of so many debts. According to the latest statistics, things are definitely going wrong in the elderly care sector in the country.
But how can we blame the nurses and the nursing homes, when there is only one person in charge of dozens of different problems per minute?
Or, alternatively, do we blame the families of the tenants who placed their loved ones in the care of strangers?
There is no specific person who can be blamed for the lack of qualified therapists:
Everyone suffers. It is unreasonable to expect one person to manage and care for the needs of so many elderly people at the same time.
mistakes in the distribution of medicines or meals; Lack of attention to small symptoms of pain in the patient which can be an indication of a bigger problem; Or simply the inability to give them the necessary time – all of these can actively contribute to the decrease in the quality of life that the elderly experience in the nursing home. Elderly people, especially those suffering from trauma and problems such as dementia, are sent to nursing homes because their families are unable to provide them with the care they need.
These people are far from their loved ones. Stuck in a place with 50 other seniors and are desperately lonely. The sisters are the ray of light in their lives. A good nurse doesn’t just feed them and clean up after them; She also comforts them, calms them and makes them feel loved.
A client, unsure if she wanted to take on the role of guardianship for her mother who has a moderate level of dementia, came to me for help. The woman said her mother could still recognize people but did forget what day it was from time to time.
Her mother also began to suffer from delusions. She was convinced that her mother was still about to think clearly, and could make decisions for her mother. Although her doctor and I explained that the disease was rapidly progressing, the daughter refused to begin the guardianship process.
It wasn’t until her mother fell and needed surgery from her broken leg that she discovered her mother was worse off than she thought.
Doctors would not do the surgery without her mother’s permission, and since they felt she was unable to give it, they did a mental test. She scored low on the test. It was then a social worker took temporary guardianship of the mother.
This process took several days to resolve, and the mother had to remain in the hospital in pain before surgery could be performed. She was given painkillers often to help with the pain. This would never have happened if the daughter had listened and assumed guardianship over her mother.
Guardianship: Should you become one? and the legal process behind it.
Many people, as they age, have dementia. The more serious the dementia is, the more help the person will need in their day.
Elderly dementia patients are at both physical and financial risk due to their susceptibility to abuse (such as physical, emotional, financial, etc.) and their own decisions. These patients needed even more protection from predators.
For example, an older adult who refuses to allow a caregiver in their home or refuses to move to a nursing home could be deemed risking themselves and their environment.
If the same person suffers a stroke and can no longer talk and needs assistance 24 hours a day, they are no longer able to provide their input into the kind of care they will get. This is why guardianship was designed.
What Is A Guardianship?
A guardian is selected to make someone’s personal decisions for them. This is a person who is unable to decide for themselves where they will live and what kind of health care they need.
The guardian can make these decisions for them. And, an elderly person can have more than one guardian– one person can make financial decisions; another person can make healthcare decisions. Also, they can both be a guardian for both kinds of decisions.
Should You Become A Guardian For Your Loved One?
When you take on the role of guardianship, you have to let the court know every so often about how the person is doing.
Make sure you fully understand the role you are about to take on before you become their legal guardian. If becoming a legal guardian over someone sounds tedious, there are other alternatives to consider.
If an emergency arises, you could always file for a temporary guardianship, where the court assigns who the guardian will be.
Corona virus vaccine – the types of vaccines developed
In Israel began the operation “Returning to Life”, which the population is vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against the Corona virus. The Corona virus vaccine have been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. The purpose of corona virus vaccine is to introduce the body to only the spike protein found on the surface of the virus, without exposing the vaccinated person to the whole virus. This means that the body will produce antibodies against this specific protein.
The effectiveness of the corona vaccine
The vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna have been tested in several countries and in several stages of development, as is customary in any process of vaccine development. In the first stage, the corona virus was vaccinated, tested on animals and found to be effective. Next, the vaccines on humans were also tested and were also found to be effective in the development of antibodies to the corona virus.
The protection of the corona vaccine
The Corona vairus vaccinae of Pfizer and Moderna have been tested in several countries and in several stages of development, as is customary in any process of vaccine development. In the first stage, the corona virus was vaccinated, tested on animals and found to be effective. Next, the vaccines on humans were also tested and were also found to be effective in the development of antibodies to the corona virus.
Side effects that require consultation with a doctor
If within 4 hours of receiving the first dose patients suffer from one or more of the following symptoms, the attending to the doctor should be consulted regarding receiving the second dose: – Skin system irritation (rash, scabies, itching, redness on the face). – Difficulties in the respiratory system (shortness of breath, troublesome cough, wheezing). – Cardiovascular symptoms (rapid pulse or decreased blood pressure). – Gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).
Should a mask be worn after receiving the vaccine?
It is still recommended even for those who have been vaccinated to take all known precautions: masks, social alienation and maintaining hygiene, in order to maintain personal and public safety. This is also the recommendation for those who have recovered from Corona disease. Once the State of Israel has a large mass of vaccinated, we can probably give up these precautions.
Our body needs the energy to survive. Where does that energy come from? Food, of course! Food is broken down into tiny molecules of sugar called glucose; from glucose, we get energy. Diabetes disease is, actually, a group of diseases that arise due to abnormal levels of glucose in the bloodstream.
Glucose levels in the blood are controlled by the hormone insulin, which is produced in small amounts by the pancreas. People with diabetes either do not produce the sugar-regulating hormone, or the cells in their body have, unfortunately, become immune to it. This results in the fundamental problem behind the condition: too much sugar in a person’s blood.
Diabetes is a life-long disease with approximately 415 million people being afflicted with it all over the world – that’s 1 in 11 people! There are two main types of diabetes, simply referred to as Type 1 and Type 2. We’ve explained what they are and the difference between them below.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes disease
In Type 1 Diabetes, the pancreatic cells in the body are unable to produce insulin (because they’re destroyed by the immune system). Afflicted people are dependent on external insulin injections to stay healthy.
Type 1 is commonly diagnosed during childhood and adolescence and usually develops in people who have diabetes disease in their family. For example, having diabetic parents increases the chance of diagnosis.
In lesson common cases, Type 1 diabetes also occurs due to coming into contact with something in the environment. The immune system becomes activated and attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, thus resulting in diabetes.
Approximately 10% of all diabetes disease cases account for Type 1 diabetes in children. It’s spread evenly among boys and girls and is mainly characterized by a deficiency in blood sugar.
Type 2 Diabetes: Not Dependent on Insulin
Unlike people with Type 1, people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes disease are able to (some extent) produce insulin. The problem, however, lies in the fact that the amount of insulin produced is either not enough, or else the person’s body has become resistant to insulin.
When there is not enough insulin in the bloodstream or the body doesn’t absorb it as it should, the levels of glucose in the blood increase (since there’s no one to stop them) which results in the disease.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, with approximately 18 million Americans being affected. It usually occurs in people over the age of 40 and with existing health conditions like obesity.
In many cases, doctors are able to predict the onset of Type 2 diabetes and detect it during early stages (pre-diabetes) when blood sugar levels in the body are slightly higher than normal. This type can be prevented by doing regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and controlling your weight.
Unfortunately, even though Type 2 diabetes occurs most commonly in adults, nowadays it is also being diagnosed in children. It is extremely important to promote healthy eating and fitness in schools, to prevent obesity in younger people so that they become less prone to being afflicted with diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes: Gestational diabetes disease
Aside from the conditions above, there is a third type of diabetes which sometimes happens in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is triggered due to the changing hormones in the body during pregnancy. The chances of developing it increase in women who are over 25 years old, have a family history of diabetes or were overweight before their pregnancy.
Blood sugars usually return to normal approximately 6 weeks after childbirth; It does, however, result in an increased chance of the mother developing Type 2 diabetes afterward. Approximately 4% of women are affected by Gestational Diabetes Worldwide.
Admitting a loved one into a long-term nursing home is probably one of the hardest decisions a person has to take. In many cases the debate about nursing homes is fierce.
Families do it for a multitude of reasons. The biggest of which is that the aging senior can no longer live by themselves. They need constant supervision from a skilled medical and para-medical stuff due to health issues. We’re all aware of the general opinion regarding nursing facilities, and an elder’s aversion towards them. However, what do the seniors really think about nursing homes?
We at Happy Seniors have provided a perspective of some seniors to the debate about nursing homes. Read on to find out two true stories of Carol Hathaway and Emily Gardener. As they talk about their lives after being admitted to a full time nursing home.
The Story of Carol
Carol, 85 years old, was admitted to Rosenfield Senior Home ten years ago. After a devastating fall left her body paralyzed from the waist down, her family made the decision of full time care. Leaving behind her home was in no way easy. But she made her peace with the decision after seeing the everyday struggles her family underwent to take care of her.
After arriving though, Carol was quite pleasantly surprised. First of all, there was no indication of the “smell” that apparently existed in nursing homes; Rosenfield was as clean as their house. She had been scared of going into an entirely new environment and having to live there for who knew how long.
It turned out that the seniors didn’t just sit around all day staring out windows as she had feared; the inhabitants of Rosenfield were all kept busy with their very own tasks. Gardening, sewing, painting, and even cooking: they each had something to keep busy and throughout the day. Even though she still missed home, her family was never very far. Carol began to find her place in the community. She felt especially happy at no longer having to trouble her loved ones.
The Story of Emily
In some ways, 75 year old Emily’s story was not much different. Inflicted with dementia two years ago, she had been cared for her by her eldest daughter for one year before coming to Rosenfield. Emily wasn’t very good at remembering short-term memories; but, her memories of her days as a carefree youth were still clear in her mind. She liked talking about them and was happy to share her story with us.
Emily worked as the chef in a restaurant for 40 solid years before age forced her into retirement; she was already living with her beautiful daughter when the diagnosis came. When Clare had to quit her job to take care of her mother, Emily first began to look through the brochures of Rosenfield. She would never be willing to burden herself on her daughter who still had a long life ahead of her worth living.
Emily was still upset though on moving day; leaving was never easy. Clare came to visit every week, and still did so even a year later. Emily needs a nurse’s full time support now for her meds and supervision. The funny thing was… in the past year, the change that had at first made her unhappy, had turned into her greatest source of joy. Most of the nurses felt like a daughter to her. And there were others she could talk to if she wanted; no one forced her to do anything she didn’t want to do. The other residents were all like family now and she loved staying with them.
Being a caregiver is among the most rewarding, and at the same time, stressful occupations in the world. These people put their heart and soul into ensuring the well-being of a senior. They do anything and everything they can to put their beloved elder’s comfort and happiness above their own. Caregivers’ stress and burnout is the unfortunately common side-effect of this job.
If you are one of those kind and loving people who are suffering from caregivers stress and burnout, then today’s article is for you. Read on to find out how to prevent the ailment and bring happiness back into your lives.
1. Give time to yourself.
A huge part of a caregiver’s job is devoting a lot of their resources ensuring the wellbeing of others.
From the daily necessities of meals and bath time to the smaller and even more important things of making conversation with the senior, or a kind gesture like making chocolate chip cookies with them to just bring some fun and light into their day.
Caregivers become so involved in someone else’s life that they forget to live their own. Not giving time to yourself is what leads to swift burnout.
Therefore the first thing you need to do is simply take a day off. Assign your duties for the day to an equally competent caregiver. Spend time by going on a trip with friends. Meet with family, or just simply read a book in the comfort of your own home. Everyone needs some me-time; you deserve it too!
2. Research the disease.
The transformation from being cared for to giving care among parents and children can be a challenging one, to say the least.
Sons and daughters suddenly find themselves in the role of a caregiver nursing a parent with dementia. They feel anxiety about their parent’s future and frustration at the simple tasks the elder can no longer do.
This is a key symptom of experiencing caregiver burnout. The caregiver needs to take a step back and at first research their elder’s disease to understand what’s happening.
It will reduce unwarranted anger and frustration at the patient. As the disease gets worse, they will need to find ways to cope with the changes. Talking to other caregivers and discussing the problems with them can help immensely too.
3. Meditation – a great way to prevent caregivers’ stress and burnout.
Experiencing stress and anxiety are bound to the job of a caregiver. They are always anxious about their patient’s health, stressful about finances, worried about the future, exhausted from the labor…
There is no way to completely remove this negativity, but there are effective ways to reduce it.
Sit down in a quiet place and take some deep breaths. Put on some soothing music if you want. Relax your body and forget your mundane activities. Focus and imagine a place you wish to be in for just fifteen minutes a day and meditate.
These fifteen minutes are enough to rejuvenate your mind and give it the much-needed break it needs from reality. Doing this exercise with the elder is also a nice thought; the elder may also constantly be in a state of anxiety.
