6 Tips for Helping a Senior Loved One Beat Insomnia

by Shelley | Jun 12, 2023 | Caregiving

You’ve likely heard that as we grow older, we require less sleep. Some people believe it’s why many seniors get up so darn early. But sleep experts disagree. Adults need between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night no matter their age.

What does change, however, is the prevalence of insomnia and other sleep disorders. Research shows that as many as 50% of people over the age of 60 suffer from a sleep disorder. A senior might struggle to get a good night’s rest and give up trying. They eventually settle for a short night of less-than-ideal sleep. This may be the origin of the myth that older adults need less sleep.

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition that causes people to have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Sleep occurs in several stages, starting with a light, dreamless slumber. It continues on to periods of active dreaming, known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. As we age, these patterns often change. The amount of time you spend in each sleep stage can be disrupted. It can cause seniors to wake up frequently throughout the night or to awaken and be unable to fall back asleep.

A few common signs of insomnia are:

• Difficulty getting to sleep
• Poor quality, non-restful sleep
• Waking up at least three times throughout the night

Why Seniors Often Experience Trouble Sleeping

Sleep disorders in seniors can be the result of a variety of medical issues, some of which can be treated. For example, certain health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, anxiety, depression, or sleep apnea can make quality sleep tougher to come by. Another factor might be chronic pain. Illnesses such as osteoarthritis or an autoimmune disease often cause persistent pain that makes a good night’s rest more challenging.

Environment might play a role, too. If a senior’s bedroom is too bright, warm, or noisy, it can interfere with rest. Then there is the possibility that poor sleep is a side effect of a medication. Beta blockers—a class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, arrhythmias, and angina—are prescribed for many seniors and can increase the risk for insomnia.

Finally, a lack of exercise is another possibility. Too much sitting can make you feel tired and sluggish, but that doesn’t translate to good quality sleep. According to the National Library of Medicine, a lack of exercise is associated with insomnia at every age.

Ways to Beat Insomnia and Get a Good Night’s Rest

If you just aren’t able to consistently sleep well, a few suggestions include:

• Sticking with a routine: Routines provide structure. That helps both the mind and body. Try going to bed at night and getting up in the morning at the same time every day. Turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before heading to bed. Engaging in soothing activities that help you unwind, such as reading or taking a warm bath, might also work.
• Creating a peaceful environment: The bedroom should be a calm and peaceful place. It’s important to have a good mattress and soft sheets. Another tip for creating a relaxing sleep environment is to turn the thermostat down a bit overnight.
• Working out in the morning: While exercise is important and aids in promoting good sleep, it can raise your body’s core temperature and boost adrenaline. Try to work out in the morning or at least three hours before bedtime.
• Avoiding late-day naps: If you can avoid taking a daily nap altogether, that’s best. However, if you have to nap, do so earlier in the day. That helps prevent daytime shut-eye from interfering with your ability to fall asleep.
• Limiting stimulants: Caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants should be consumed in moderation and avoided completely later in the day. While they may not prevent you from falling asleep, they often cause people to wake up in the night and be unable to return to sleep.
• Clearing your mind: Try to deal with the worries of your day before getting into bed. Quiet the mind and focus on peaceful thoughts. Meditation, journaling, stretching, and other activities that promote emotional resilience can be beneficial.

If your best efforts at getting a good night’s rest don’t yield results, it’s likely time to see the doctor. They might be able to figure out the root cause or schedule an overnight sleep study.

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Advice to Help New Caregivers Get Organized

by Shelley | May 30, 2023 | Caregiving

Dear Donna:

I recently returned home to Michigan from New York to help care for my parents. While I live close to them, we’re not in the same house. They both have different health concerns and need someone to oversee their care and household tasks.

My employer allows me to work remotely, but I still put in a lot of hours each week. I’m really struggling to get organized. Do you have any suggestions to help a new caregiver like me? I’m really overwhelmed.

Sincerely,

Chris in Grand Haven, MI

Organizational Tips for New Family Caregivers

Dear Chris:

Assuming the role of family caregiver is a big undertaking. When you factor in your relocation and busy job, it’s easy to see why you are struggling. Here are some suggestions I hope will be beneficial:

• Accept that you will need help.

Adult children often believe they should be able to manage their aging parents’ support on their own. Very rarely is this realistic. As you take on this new role, recognize that you will need to ask for and accept help. That support might come in many forms.

It could be asking a friend or family member to stay with your parents for an hour or two while you relax and see a movie or have your hair done. You could also ask a friend to pick up a few groceries or drop off dinner to your parents.

• Organize caregiving details.

Many adult children say they feel an extraordinary amount of stress when they first step into the caregiving role. They may worry they won’t do a good job or fear they will overlook important appointments or tasks. Getting organized can help relieve some of that anxiety.

Begin by blocking out time to set up a system. Sort and organize your parents’ important health care paperwork and legal documents. If you need to, ask a friend or family member to sit with your parents so you can have this uninterrupted time.

Organize their paperwork in a binder by topic or date (e.g., test results, medication list, and physician contact information). Also check to see if their health care provider has an online portal your parents can access. Taking time to review visit summaries, test results, and other notes can give you a better picture of what’s been happening.

Next, add your parents’ appointments and follow-up tasks to your personal calendar. If there are household tasks that need to be completed, place those on your calendar, too. This helps to avoid double-booking yourself or missing something. Not having to rely on your memory can alleviate some of your stress. Apps like My Medical can make tracking and organizing easier.

• Establish and stick to a routine.

This step may take some time, but having a routine can make caregiving more manageable. Try to cluster errands and appointments on one or two days each week. This will allow you to have uninterrupted blocks of time to work and handle your own needs.

It also requires fewer arrangements for a friend or family member to stay with your loved one. For example, if both parents have dentist appointments, schedule them concurrently. That allows you to make one trip instead of two.

• Connect with a caregiver support group.

Caregivers face unique challenges that others may not understand. It can be very isolating. Having a group of peers who understand and can empathize is usually beneficial to a caregiver’s emotional and physical well-being. Support group members may have specific ideas for juggling work with a caregiving schedule.

Peers can also commiserate with you about the emotional side of caregiving. For example, if you are feeling guilty, resentful, angry, or sad, you’ll likely find people who’ve experienced those emotions too. You can even connect with a support caregiver group online, if that is easier on your schedule.

• Practice good self-care.

Finally, follow the oxygen mask advice flight attendants share during their pre-flight safety talk: help yourself before helping others. Caregivers must make good self-care a priority. If you don’t, you’re more likely to experience a medical crisis of your own.

Respite services at assisted living communities may make that possible for you. Your parents can spend a week or so at a community while you take a vacation or just some time off.

I hope this information is helpful to you, Chris!

Kind regards,

Donna

How Can I Convince My Siblings to Help with Caregiving?

by Shelley | May 4, 2023 | Caregiving

Dear Donna:

My mom has lived alone in an older house since my dad passed away almost three years ago. Her home is in a rural area of Michigan without any close neighbors. My brother, sister, and I all live about 20 minutes away from her.

Over the last two years, my mom’s health has started to decline. While I’m more than happy to help, most of the caregiver duties seem to fall to me. My siblings just haven’t stepped up to provide any support to our mom. I am the oldest child, but I’m no less busy with my own family and job than they are.

I’m starting to be very resentful of my siblings. I don’t even want to be around them or call them. I realize I need to take steps to fix this, but I’m not sure how. What can I do to get them to pitch in and help with our mom’s care?

Sincerely,

Cindy in Saginaw, MI

Getting Siblings to Help Care for a Parent

Dear Cindy:

First, know that working together to manage a parent’s care can strain even the closest family relationships. In a study conducted by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, only 1 in 10 family caregivers say responsibilities are shared equally and without conflict among loved ones.

As you’ve discovered, one family member usually shoulders much of the burden, and it’s often the eldest daughter. What I usually suggest to primary caregivers is to identify, if possible, the reasons why siblings aren’t helping.

In many cases, loved ones don’t know how or where to start. Providing more structure and specific requests for help might be necessary. Other sources of friction we’ve witnessed are:

• Differing opinions: Adult children don’t always see eye-to-eye on how much or what type of care a parent needs. In your situation, for example, your mother sounds like she might be an ideal fit for an assisted living community. Since you are the primary caregiver, this might not be a big surprise to you. But your siblings who don’t see her or help as much might not agree.
• Emotional struggle: Watching your mom’s health decline is probably difficult for all of you. Some adult children may avoid visiting an aging parent because they can’t process what is happening. A sibling who is going through this may benefit from speaking with a mental health professional.
• Disputes about money: Another source of feuds that occur when a senior loved one needs care is money. Adult children may disagree on how to spend—or not spend—a parent’s money. Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for siblings to clash over spending money on professional senior care because of the impact on potential inheritance.

Some people feel unsure of where to start when it comes to caregiving. They often benefit from being given specific tasks or dates to provide assistance to an aging parent. If this is the case for your siblings, we have some suggestions for getting started.

Organizing Siblings to Help with Senior Care

Working with siblings to care for an aging parent takes a coordinated approach. Whether you are trying to find a new doctor for a senior loved one or deciding between two assisted living communities, it’s important to put aside your differences.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind as you all create a plan for your mom’s care:

• Assign specific tasks: Create a list of tasks and appointments for which your mom needs help. Split them up evenly and put it in writing. Try to get your siblings to set a date for when general tasks (e.g., cleaning the gutters or stocking the freezer) will be completed.
• Communicate regularly: Staying in close touch is essential for avoiding misunderstandings. It’s usually best to meet in person or by video chat instead of via text message.
• Let it go: Don’t let resentment and old sibling rivalries keep you from doing what is in your parent’s best interest. Instead of hanging on to old wounds and slights, let it go. The added stress isn’t good for you or your parent.
• Seek unbiased guidance: Unfortunately, some families reach an impasse and just can’t find ways to work together. This is where the guidance of an unbiased third party might help. It could be your mom’s rabbi or pastor. You might even want to turn to their physician or nurse practitioner for advice if the issue is deciding on care solutions. Finally, another option is to enlist the services of an aging life care professional.

I hope this information is useful to you, Cindy! Best of luck to you and your family.

Kind regards,

Donna

Medication Management Tips and Tools for Caregivers

by Shelley | Apr 17, 2023 | Caregiving

Sticking to a medication schedule or keeping a loved one on track can be tough, especially when you are the caregiver for a senior who doesn’t live with you. Because older adults often take multiple medicines each day, it’s easy to see how mistakes happen. Researchers say 41% of seniors take 5 or more medications every day! Between dosages, times, and refills, it’s a lot to organize.

Some of the most common issues seniors encounter when it comes to managing their medication schedule include:

• Difficulty ordering medication refills
• Trouble getting to and from the pharmacy
• Problems reading small print on medication labels
• Struggles with tough-to-open bottles
• Remembering which medication to take and when

These difficulties can add up to big trouble for older adults. In fact, medication errors are one of the leading reasons so many of our seniors end up in a hospital emergency room. According to the National Academy of Medicine, mistakes with medication send 770,000 adults a year to the hospital. Some forget to take a dose on time, while others might accidentally take too much.

If you or a senior in your life is struggling with medication management, here are a few tips and tools you may find useful.

Ways to Organize a Senior Loved One’s Medications

• Pharmacy blister packs: Talk with your local pharmacist or the mail order pharmacy your insurance uses to see if they can set up punch cards or blister packs. These simple packaging solutions separate medications by day and time of dosage. When it’s time to take a medication, the user only has to push the pill through a foil or paper covering on the back of the pack. No more struggling to get the lid off pill bottles!
• Reminder calls or alerts: If you or an older family member often forgets to take medications, set up a recurring smart phone alert as a reminder. You can call or text them when you get the alert. There are also services, like Medication Call Reminder and Sage Minder, that offer automated phone calls at dosage times.
• Medication apps: Smart phone users can also explore medication apps that provide a reminder. Dosecast and Medisafe Medication Management are two apps that can remind an individual when it’s time to take their pills.
• Electronic pill dispensers: Another solution to explore is electronic pill dispensers. These comprehensive products utilize wireless technology to sound an alert and open when it’s time to take a medication. They can open just the compartment containing the necessary pill. For safety, the system can text or call a contact person if a senior misses a dose.

Finally, remember to dispose of medications that are no longer needed. People tend to hang on to medications in case they might need them again in the future. It’s usually best to get rid of anything not currently prescribed for the senior to prevent a dangerous mix-up or the medicine falling into the wrong hands. This article will help you figure out the best way to dispose of old medications.

Medication Management at Heritage Senior Communities

At Heritage Senior Communities, medication management is one of our most utilized services. Our professional caregivers handle all of the details, including dispensing medicines at the appropriate time. Call the Heritage location nearest you to learn more!

Natural Ways to Beat the Caregiver Blues

by Shelley | Mar 15, 2023 | Caregiving

Caregiving for a senior loved one can come with many rewards. It may give family members who’ve drifted apart the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce. There’s also the warm feeling that comes from lending support to someone who cared for and nurtured you. But there are also difficult realities caregivers encounter.

Depression associated with witnessing the decline of a loved one’s health can be serious. So can isolation family caregivers often experience, especially those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

The following tips might help you find holistic ways to beat the caregiver blues.

Steps Caregivers Can Take to Protect Mental Health

• Eat a healthy diet: It’s tempting to load up on comfort foods and sugary treats when you are feeling down and lonely. While that often provides a short pop of energy, it makes the situation worse over time. Researchers have found a strong link between diet and depression. People who eat healthy foods are less likely to suffer from depression than those who consume a diet high in processed foods and sugar. By contrast, a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean protein helps people enjoy a better overall wellness.
• Get regular exercise: Don’t mistake the hustle and bustle of hectic caregiver days for exercise. Unfortunately, the tasks associated with the business of caring for a loved one don’t usually equate to physical fitness activities. By engaging in 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, you’ll likely see your mental health improve. Researchers say that’s because working out releases endorphins that improve mood as well as the quality and duration of sleep.
• Make sleep a priority: Sleep problems are all too common among family caregivers. Some family caregivers have trouble falling asleep while others can’t stay Stress, worry, and fatigue are often the underlying causes. Regardless of why, sleep deprivation can worsen depression. If you just can’t get a good night’s rest no matter what you try, talk with your primary care physician. They may need to order a sleep study or check for other health conditions that may be the culprit.
• Visit with loved ones remotely: Socializing is essential to feeling connected and supported. Yet, caregivers often feel guilty making fun a priority when there are so many tasks they think they should be doing. Spending even a few hours a week with friends and family can restore the spirit and make you feel less alone. If you can’t visit in person, use a video chat platform to connect virtually. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have become familiar with video chat programs like Skype and Zoom.
• Take time off: To be a good caregiver, it’s essential that spouses and adult children take time for themselves on a regular basis. Book a massage, have lunch with a friend, work on an art project, or watch a comedy to unwind. If you don’t have someone close to you who can help, explore respite care at a local assisted living community or adult day programs. Both of these short-term solutions will keep your senior loved one safe while you take time to yourself.

Plan for the Future by Visiting a Heritage Community

One final suggestion for caregivers is to create a care plan for the future. While no one likes to think the worst will happen, there might come a time when a senior loved one will need more or different care than families can provide. That’s why it’s a good idea to explore local senior care options.

For four generations, family-owned Heritage Senior Communities has long been recognized as an industry leader. Call the community nearest you to set up a personal visit to learn more today!