CAREGIVING
"If you find it in your heart to care for someone else, you will have succeeded."
-Maya Angelou
Care-giving is a choice.
It is a path of generosity, sacrifice, and above all selflessness. A Caregiver's gentle touch, assistance, and dedication provides comfort and reassurances when others need it most.
Caregivers are the beacon of light in someone's world, which may be laced in darkness, loneliness, and desperation.
Navigating through rough waters can be difficult, especially when a road map to your situation is nowhere to be found.
Through on-the-job-training, trial & error, observation, love and courage, my role as both a wife and caregiver has become more defined. I've learned how to do things in a more-efficient, most-loving way, in an effort to make each day run smoother than the day before.
From one caregiver to another, I dedicate this page to you. I will pass on as much knowledge and helpful tips in order to make your journey a little bit easier.
It is a path of generosity, sacrifice, and above all selflessness. A Caregiver's gentle touch, assistance, and dedication provides comfort and reassurances when others need it most.
Caregivers are the beacon of light in someone's world, which may be laced in darkness, loneliness, and desperation.
Navigating through rough waters can be difficult, especially when a road map to your situation is nowhere to be found.
Through on-the-job-training, trial & error, observation, love and courage, my role as both a wife and caregiver has become more defined. I've learned how to do things in a more-efficient, most-loving way, in an effort to make each day run smoother than the day before.
From one caregiver to another, I dedicate this page to you. I will pass on as much knowledge and helpful tips in order to make your journey a little bit easier.
November is National Family Caregiver Month. Have you hugged a Caregiver today?
Preparing for Vacations or Travel
Traveling with someone with a disability can be very scary and intimidating!
I have learned over the course of four years that the best thing you can do to make things go smooth are the following:
I have learned over the course of four years that the best thing you can do to make things go smooth are the following:
- Allot time: Whenever possible pack up your partner's things the day before your departure or earlier. There is nothing that will frazzle nerves more then running up against time when preparing to travel. I always pack my husband's suitcase the day before we take-off There are so many moving parts; so many things to bring, so many things to remember. By giving myself the extra time, I'm more relaxed and less likely to forget something crucial. I might pack my things the day of travel, but I try and give myself the same courtesy and pack the day or night before as well.
- More or less? That is the golden question. I have vacationed both ways; packing nearly all the contents of our house, or packing lightly to safe space and to cut down on the amount of luggage to tote. I tend to be a "better safe than sorry" kind of person, and generally over-pack for the both of us. While I'm trying to make a concerted effort to streamline MY suitcase, I have learned that cutting back on my husband's isn't worth it and it just creates more stress, especially if I didn't pack items that couldn't easily be bought from a store away from home. Having said that, I've adopted a rule of thumb with regards to packing light or full. If we are just doing an overnight, two night max, or are traveling no farther than one hour from home (i.e. our overnight trips to San Francisco), I will streamline his suitcase. Anything over that then I pack nearly all the items on his travel checklist. Which brings me to my next item: Travel Checklist
- Travel Checklist: I found that every time I packed I was forgetting something important, and getting frustrated trying to remember everything to bring. I decided to put together a travel checklist specific to my husband's needs, and it has worked like magic. Sometimes I don't need to bring everything and I quickly scratch those items off of the list, but most of the time I bring all items on the list. I created the list by separating items into categories so that when I packed I wasn't all over the place. The document to the right is an example of our checklist. (Names of medicines were excluded for privacy purposes).
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TRANSFERS
One of the first things I committed to early on in my husband's recovery, was learning how to execute every possible "patient transfer". Learning these transfers, to include chair to bed, or chair to car, has been vital to our everyday living. Executing our first car transfer solo was very liberating, and gave us the opportunity to finally get out of the house.
Shortly after my husband was discharged from the hospital, we spent a lot of time and energy trying to find a van that would accommodate his electric wheelchair- which stood high off of the ground. Our choices were very limited. The vans that were a suitable fit were extremely expensive and well out of our price range. Those that were affordable, were very large and intimidating. For six weeks our only means for transportation was riding the County Connection's para-transit bus. Due to logistics, we reserved this option for doctor and physical therapy appointments only. As time went on, we were feeling more and more isolated, separated from our friends, our family, and all that gave us pleasure. We needed to get out of the house-to go shopping, out to dinner, to the movies, whatever...we just needed some freedom.
As time went on our only options were to either stay trapped in the house, or learn how to do a car transfer with the car we are already owned. When Vaughn was in the hospital, an occupational therapist taught my daughter and me how to do a two-person car transfer with a transfer belt and wooden board. They warned us that we should always do a transfer with another person, but what about when my daughter was in school and we wanted to get out of the house? What then?
I decided that if I had all the key ingredients, I could do the transfers by myself. Although the experts don't recommend doing car transfers solo, I was more than willing to give it a try just to regain some normalcy back into our lives. At the time my husband weighed 180 pounds and was completely immobile, but with the proper technique, equipment, and positive attitude, I knew anything was possible.
As we had hoped, our first car transfer was a success, and since then has become part of our every-day living. We never did get that van, and are just as content using a car to get around town.
Whether the person you are caring for is immobile or mobility-impaired, the suggestions I offer for a successful transfer are as follows:
Shortly after my husband was discharged from the hospital, we spent a lot of time and energy trying to find a van that would accommodate his electric wheelchair- which stood high off of the ground. Our choices were very limited. The vans that were a suitable fit were extremely expensive and well out of our price range. Those that were affordable, were very large and intimidating. For six weeks our only means for transportation was riding the County Connection's para-transit bus. Due to logistics, we reserved this option for doctor and physical therapy appointments only. As time went on, we were feeling more and more isolated, separated from our friends, our family, and all that gave us pleasure. We needed to get out of the house-to go shopping, out to dinner, to the movies, whatever...we just needed some freedom.
As time went on our only options were to either stay trapped in the house, or learn how to do a car transfer with the car we are already owned. When Vaughn was in the hospital, an occupational therapist taught my daughter and me how to do a two-person car transfer with a transfer belt and wooden board. They warned us that we should always do a transfer with another person, but what about when my daughter was in school and we wanted to get out of the house? What then?
I decided that if I had all the key ingredients, I could do the transfers by myself. Although the experts don't recommend doing car transfers solo, I was more than willing to give it a try just to regain some normalcy back into our lives. At the time my husband weighed 180 pounds and was completely immobile, but with the proper technique, equipment, and positive attitude, I knew anything was possible.
As we had hoped, our first car transfer was a success, and since then has become part of our every-day living. We never did get that van, and are just as content using a car to get around town.
Whether the person you are caring for is immobile or mobility-impaired, the suggestions I offer for a successful transfer are as follows:
1. Transfer Belt: A useful tool to assist with transfers. A Transfer belt, whether a high-end belt such as the one shown in the picture or a simple trouser belt, help to secure and balance the person being transferred. I personally like a transfer belt that has loops as it gives more options and the ability for a second person to grab-hold when the occasion calls for it.
1. Transfer Belt: A useful tool to assist with transfers. A Transfer belt, whether a high-end belt such as the one shown in the picture or a simple trouser belt, help to secure and balance the person being transferred. I personally like a transfer belt that has loops as it gives more options and the ability for a second person to grab-hold when the occasion calls for it.
2. Transfer Board: Wooden planks are the gold standard for transferring a patient/person from one spot to another. In our situation, however, I found the wooden transfer board to be limiting, especially doing transfers solo. In most cases I've been in the situation where no one is available to assist with the transfer. The wood board works fine for chair to bed transfers, but was very difficult to use for car transfers. A much better option for transfers, especially for people who do not have use of their arms or are unable to bear weight, is The Beasy Board. Although it is a little pricey, The Beasy Board was one of the best medical purchases we've made to date. The board operates under a "glide" system. When using the Beasy Board there is no lifting or straining and takes the weight off of the caregiver or person conducting the transfer. For more information on this product click here: Beasy Board
3. Technique/Body Mechanics: I quickly learned that utilizing proper technique is imperative for the safety of both the person being transferred and the person/persons doing the transfer. In the first 6 months after my husband came home from the hospital, I wrenched my back and strained my neck several times. When lifting, it's best to bend the knees in order to take the weight and strain off of the back. I invested in a back brace for myself, and although I don't use it as much now, it was/is really helpful in stabilizing my back. Secondly, keep your body close to the person you are transferring. The further you get away from that person, the more strain you put on your body, especially when bending. Lastly, when turning a person, it's best to pivot and align your body with theirs instead of twisting your body and running the risk of injury.
4. Knee block: I have found this to be the most useful technique when assisting someone (who is able to bear weight on their legs) up out of the chair. Touch your knees with their knees during the rise out of the chair. It gives both parties leverage.
5. Keep a sheet or sling in the car: What happens if you are out and about and the person who is incapacitated falls? Use a sling or roll a sheet underneath them, and with the assistance of another person, pick up the person who fell by grabbing onto the corners of the sheet/sling and placing them into a chair.
6. Hoyer Lift: In the rare event that the person you are caring for is incapacitated, a Hoyer lift is almost a necessity to transfer a patient in and out of bed (to a wheelchair). Insurance pays for the rental. We no longer use a Hoyer lift because my husband has progressed and is able to bear weight on his legs, but we still keep the sling that is used with a Hoyer Lift, in the trunk of the car.
7. Bed transfers: If you don't have a manual bed that can be raised up and down, it's best to set the level of the bed to the same height as that of the wheelchair. Ideally, a down-hill transfer is best but if you don't have that option, our experience is that a lateral transfer works best.