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Coordinating care for your child can feel overwhelming, especially as plans change during the summer. Here are some strategies that other parents and professionals use that can help make it easier and keep you organized. -Create a Medical Binder Store your child's medical information in a 3-ring binder for easy access. You can use colorful dividers, pockets, and stickers to keep everything organized. Keep it where you and others can find it easily and keep it up to date. You can also provide a copy to your child's care team. -Clarify Expectations Every care provider is different, so it's important to communicate your expectations to ensure your child receives the care they need. Similarly, they'll likely tell you what they can do and what they expect from you in return. It may help to prepare some talking points ahead of appointments. -Demonstrate Care Tasks If your child has complex medical needs or specific care requirements, create a care manual outlining and demonstrating care tasks for other carers to use. You can provide this information by drawing diagrams, including photos, writing out instructions, or filming a video. -Make a Schedule Keeping a schedule can help you keep track of your child's routines, appointments, and other life responsibilities. Set aside time for schedule-making activities in your routine. To stay organized and on track, you can use alarms, reminders, and calendars—even a shared online calendar like Google Calendar. -Stay on the Same Page If your child sees multiple healthcare providers in different systems, you can help ensure they're on the same page by requesting that your child's medical information is sent to the other providers before their next appointment. -Prepare for Emergencies While it can be hard to think about the worst-case scenario, it's important to be prepared. In addition to making an emergency bag with extra medication, snacks, clothing, and other supplies, consider information that emergency personnel or others would need to know about your child and their needs. Share this post with another family member or caregiver so they can be part of an organized, efficient care plan this summer. ☀️

Do you know what to do if your care recipient experiences shortness of breath? 🌬️ They might feel short of breath when rushing through activities or pushing themselves too hard. This could even lead to feelings of panic. Help them use this guide to catch their breath again. STEP 1: Get away from environment triggers (if any). For example, smoke. STEP 2: Calmly stop what you are doing. STEP 3: Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Relax your neck, shoulders, and chin. STEP 4: Breathe as fast as you need to. Try not to gasp for air. STEP 5: Breathe in through your mouth if you have to. STEP 6: Breathe out slowly through pursed lips (if you can). STEP 7: Try to exhale longer each time. Don't force it. STEP 8: Slowly breathe in through your nose. Breathe out through pursed lips. STEP 9: Aim to breathe out for twice as long as you are breathing in. Do this until your breathing slows. STEP 10: When breathing feels more comfortable, rest for 5 minutes before resuming activity. Try to pace yourself. Although shortness of breath with effortful activity can be scary, it's not dangerous or harmful. Don't avoid doing activities that cause shortness of breath. Instead, pace yourself and learn what to do so you don't panic. Practice the steps when you're not short of breath to feel prepared for when it happens. Save this post for when you might need it!

40-70% of family caregivers report clinically significant symptoms of depression. Caregiver burnout is a growing concern, with a large percentage of caregivers experiencing overwhelming exhaustion, stress, and emotional fatigue. This significant statistic highlights the urgent need for effective strategies to support those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. Without proper intervention, burnout can lead to decreased quality of care and adverse health effects for both caregivers and care recipients. To better understand and tackle this issue, download our comprehensive white paper. It offers actionable solutions and research-backed strategies designed to alleviate caregiver burnout and enhance the overall quality of care. It's time to support caregivers. Together, we can make a difference in healthcare. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dpfzEx8S

Join us for the upcoming webinar, The Isolation Epidemic: The Impact on Patient Families and How to Improve the Continuum of Care. Caregivers are vital to the healthcare system, supporting over 53 million individuals in the United States. However, many experience significant social isolation, impacting their well-being and care quality. Come learn about the profound effects of isolation on patient families and discover actionable strategies to enhance care. Don't miss this valuable opportunity—register now and share with others who could benefit from this insight too! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eTGt6bgh

👀 It's Healthy Vision Month, so here are some ways to strengthen your communication with your care recipient if they have vision impairments. -Set Up Your Surroundings Ensure the area is well-lit so your care recipient can better see your face and objects in the room. -Reduce Background Noise Your care recipient may rely more on their sense of hearing to make up for their vision impairment. -Use Your Body Language Stand where they can see you best. If your care recipient has dementia, this often means standing directly in front of them at their eye level. -Describe What You're Doing Let your care recipient know when you've entered the room. Address your care recipient by their name and identify yourself so they know you're speaking to them. For example, you can say: "Hi, Mom. It's me, Sarah." Indicate when you are walking away from your care recipient. It can be frustrating to think you are talking with someone who is not actually there. For example, you can say: "I am going to grab your dinner for you. I will be back in around 5 minutes." 💬 Do you have any tips that help you communicate well with a visually impaired loved one? Share them below to help someone else out!

🧘Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling a bit stiff? This is common, especially as we get older. Unfortunately, older adults who do not move well throughout the morning hours can carry that feeling of stiffness or soreness throughout the day, leaving them even more stiff the next morning. Getting into a habit of a morning stretch routine can be helpful for you and for your loved one. Incorporating simple morning stretches can significantly enhance flexibility and reduce discomfort. Start with gentle neck stretches to relieve tension, followed by shoulder rolls to loosen up the upper body. Incorporate side stretches and seated forward bends to stretch the back and legs. These easy movements can help caregivers and their care recipients start the morning feeling refreshed and more mobile, setting a positive tone for the rest of the day. Try to incorporate it into your routine and see how you feel! There is a full view on good morning stretches available on Trualta's Caregiver Support Platform. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if they offer Trualta!

Advocating for a child with medically complex needs can feel like a lot, especially when your child wants to participate in summer activities. This might help. ⬇️ Identify a few locations that offer those activities and request a call or meeting with activity organizers. Prepare a list of questions about what support they currently offer and whether they're willing to make changes. For example: -Have you had children with complex needs use your space before? What support do you already have in place? -My child requires _____ equipment/support. Do you have this available? -What is the ratio between instructor and children? Would my child have one-on-one support if they needed it? -Am I allowed to be present during the activity to support my child if they need? Or, is there somewhere I can be on standby? -Are you willing to take suggestions that could make the activity in your space more accessible to my child (and others) in the future? If you have more questions to add to the list, please share!

📚 Book Recommendation 📚 "Death Is But a Dream" by Dr. Christopher Kerr offers profound insights from a hospice doctor who has witnessed countless patients face their final moments. Despite the inevitability of death, Dr. Kerr's patients often speak of love and grace, sharing end-of-life experiences that are described as "more real than real." These dreams resurrect past relationships, meaningful events, and themes of love and forgiveness, helping patients transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. This book sheds light on the unseen, life-affirming processes that occur at the end of life, providing invaluable perspectives for caregivers and healthcare providers. Have you read this book or have other recommendations? We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! 📖

Caregiving is often a hefty mental load, so making sure your mental health is taken care of is vital. Here's a tip to help you reduce your mental load (and still get everything done). 👉 Delegate & Automate Organize responsibilities so that you barely have to think about them. Use local services, technology, or delegate recurring help from friends or family. Some examples include: -Set reminders for appointments in a smartphone. -Use alarms to remember when they need to take medications. -Use a grocery delivery service. -Make easy-prep or pre-made meals that can be heated up. -Set up an automatic delivery schedule of important supplies. -Ask a friend to drive your loved one to their appointment every Thursday. When asking for help from others, be specific about the tasks you need help with. You can also come up with a running list of tasks so that the next time someone offers to help, you'll have a whole list for them to pick from! What are things you delegate or automate that make your mental load a little lighter? Share them in the caption because they may inspire someone else!

What is the difference between Living Will, Will, and Power of Attorney (POA) documents? 📝 These are legal documents that allow a person to state what they want for themselves and their estate. In the case of caregivers, it's important to understand what documents their care recipient might need depending on their situation. Living Will: Used while a care recipient is living, this takes effect near the very end of life. The care recipient has instructions for their doctor and healthcare team about their wishes at the end of their life. Will: Used after a care recipient has passed away. The care recipient states what they would like done with their estate. Power of Attorney: Used while a care recipient is living and needs help. The care recipient names a friend or family member they trust to make decisions about their healthcare and finances. Was this information helpful to know? If you have questions on this or other related topics, we would love to answer!