Any caregivers out there with a sense of humor left? Watching the Olympics made me wonder if caregivers would get more recognition and assistance if more people were aware of the tremendous feats we accomplish day after day. So, do you have an event suggestion for the Caregiver Olympics? Anyone? How about:
1. bed linen change challenge: bed change with a person still in the bed (points for gentleness, neatness, etc)
2. make the dr appt on time: You must juggle: late transportation, last minute clothes change due to spill and ask minute bathroom break
3. Find the right Medicare drug plan: who can navigate the Medicare drug plan selection site and come up with the best plan
4. Bed pan relay race: make it to your destination without spills
*fastest copying
*least amount of paper
*fewest phone calls
*fewest visits to bank
*competing with the flu
*maintaining visits to NH
Disqualified for:
*lying
*incomplete paperwork
*mental or physical harm to immediate family while competing
Obstacle course: The object to get the medal is based on completing care giving duties such as, safety. security, meds, dr's appts. "those are the easy DUTIES and etc. (you all know the long list)... and not losing your own mind in the process.... and all extra score points given when there are people that throw unnecessary BS in your way, you all know... the complainers without realistic goals and all they do includes nothing they have no clue as to what the goal is, but pretend that their complaints matter, just to make you look like what you are doing is pointless.. (AS IF THE OBSTACLES are HELPING)
THE GOAL HEART MEDAL GOES TO "ALL WHO" ..............
~CAN PROTECT THEIR "ELDERLY IN NEED" FROM FAMILY OR ANYBODY ELSE'S...ABUSE, OF MONEY, OF FRAUD, CONTROL FOR SELFISH GOALS, AND JUST PLAIN UNCARING MOTIVES~
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* caregiver must be ready for unexpected demand for supper "now"
* try not to let her know what you are preparing so she cannot say she doesn't like it.
* keep it simple but colourful and tasteful without spices
* get it onto her prepared at the table and serve food while still hot enough.
* bonus points if she actually eats it.
1) eat
2)sleep
3) well basically, how fast can you do anything?
This event is training for the next competition:
Most number of assistance requests responded to by caregiver within a given time
I mop I mop I mop
The puppy poops in Pa's room
Pa heads to the bathroom
shuffle shuffle shuffle
through the poop poop poop
looks for me throughout the house
shuffle shuffle shuffle
through the poop poop poop
I get the mop mop mop
through the brown brick road :)
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(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Chirp Chirp Cricket Hugsღ
STEPHAN...I hope you don't mind me stealing your quote but it's perfect!!!
"Warm Heart Event": The gold medal is having clean, safe, happy and grateful relatives leading happy lives and enjoying their old age years, being trusted and doing a good job. Repaying them for the decades of love and care is absolutely priceless!
None of us do anything for anyone and expect a reward except
"PEACE OF MIND AND A FEELING OF DOING RIGHT FOR A LOVED ONE OR ANOTHER LIFE" .... No Matter how SH.. HIT.. EE... or Bloody or Crazy it makes us.... Caregivers do it with Love but we are too tired to "do it"!!!! LOL
I believe we are all blessed to have each other we share an understanding most others resist or fear.... without that understanding , "those others" who read this thread, think we are all the crazy one's, when we know different, I feel sorry for "them" !!! I guess I cannot generalize but I'm venting a bit of my frustration not understood by family members.
plead, not threaten of course) other relatives to atleast take a few minutes to visit, call, write, etc. the loved one. Trying not to become too discouraged, saddened, empathetic, etc. with others who are "very busy". This is a feat that sometimes takes a lot of prayer!
A related event is cleaning up copious amounts of blood in public after paper-thin skin bruised, and explaining bruises to horrified onlookers (today mom hit her face on the corner of the car door somehow and showed up to a birthday lunch looking like a prize fighter who lost a fight). Also explaining to horrified onlookers about blood in car after stepfather's stent surgery incision opened up on long drive home and filled passenger side foot well with blood the night before Thanksgiving with 20 relatives due to show up -- cooking turkey dinner and hosing blood out of car....
The gold medal is having clean, safe, happy and grateful relatives leading happy lives and enjoying their old age years, being trusted and doing a good job. Repaying them for the decades of love and care is absolutely priceless!
Doing the toilet duties without commenting on the smell or complaining and asking God why you have to do this!
1. filling and collecting RX 2. questioning need for RX 3. research of side effects, other medication interactions 3. curve when out of blue insurance decides not to cover or insists on switching 4.running quizz: why am i taking this/.how long do i have to take this 5 . the generic handoff twist: just as everyone gets used to a certain color and shape of each pill to avoid errors, you start getting something that looks totally different 6) detour whilie you wait for dr's office to send in a refill. 7) go back to 1 and start over endlessly
Extra challenge: figure out how to recycle pill bottle in a creative way (turn them into cat toys, store screws, etc, donate to vet offices, single flower bud vases that don't spill (punch one hole in cap to insert stem and place by bedside.
Some helpful things: if your insurance lets you it is much easier to ask the dr to write the RX for a 90 day supply; And Walgreen (and maybae others) didn't realize under recently that the cap on the bottle works from both sides, screw on one side and it is not a child proof cat. make sure you get a form from the medicare D provider and pharmacy in advance (if they require it) that allows you to talk to them about the medications prescribed for your family member