Caregiver Burnout and How to Protect Your Health

We would like extend a warm thank you to everyone for taking time to respond to the information gathering survey we sent out recently; the survey was a wonderful way to learn more about the topics and issues that are of most interest and relevance to our subscribers. We had an overwhelming response and hope that those first 100 respondents have enjoyed their Starbucks e-gifts! Based on the survey, one of the leading reasons subscribers join our mailing list is to get more information on the topic of caring for an aging parent or other loved one. Inspired by your feedback, we are hosting our second free public webinar in the Home Care Assistance Healthy Longevity Webinar Series: Caregiver Burnout and How to Protect Your Health.  
The webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 1^st at 11 AM Pacific, 2 PM Eastern, and will be presented by prominent psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Hoblyn, Chief Medical Officer of eTherapi and Professor at the Stanford School of Medicine. The webinar will not only explore the challenges that family and professional caregivers experience, but will also provide practical information and tips that caregivers can incorporate in their own lives to improve their health and quality of life. Space is limited, so make sure to reserve your seat as soon as possible. 
 
In addition to the webinar, Home Care Assistance is also promoting awareness of caregiver burnout and stress through community outreach and education. The premise driving the educational initiative is that individuals who are informed about the challenges associated with caregiving are more likely to engage in healthy practices to protect their own quality of life. If you are currently caring for a loved one, please go through our Caregiver Burnout Checklist to better understand the impact of caregiving on your life. With 75 million adults in North America caring for an elderly, chronically ill or disabled family member and the vast majority of these individuals also raising children and holding down full-time jobs, it’s important to know the signs of caregiver burnout and become knowledgeable about prevention. By increasing awareness around the topic of caregiver burnout we hope to empower individuals that provide care to others to take the steps necessary to promote their own mental and physical health. Start protecting your health today by registering for our free public webinar: Caregiver Burnout and How to Protect Your Health. 

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), Hamilton and surrounding areas.

Grand Travel and Your Bucket List

Other PEOPLE TRAVEL

Friday, February 10, 2012

We all have a bucket list of places to see before we die. In fact, there is a book with a similar title in the travel section of bookstores. If your bucket list includes plans to take your grandchildren, do it sooner rather than later, especially if you’re taking them out of school for the trip.

When my grandsons were four and six, I took them on a trip to Italy. Their parents came too and we all worried at the time about taking them out of school, junior kindergarten and grade one at the time. My sister, a retired teacher, advised taking them. “They’ll learn more on the trip than what they miss in five days of school,” she said. They don’t remember much about the trip, unfortunately, but for me, it was a wonderful memory. And perhaps, subconsciously, they learned something.

After that trip, every time I travelled, my oldest grandson asked if he could “hide in my suitcase” and come along.  In retrospect, I wish I had taken him, because now, at fourteen, he barely acknowledges my existence and certainly wouldn’t be seen in public with me, let alone entertain the prospect of travelling with someone so ‘old.’

We have, unfortunately, a small window of opportunity to take our grandchildren on a vacation that fits in with family schedules and school attendance. And, there are compelling reasons to take them out of school for a trip. Generally, in the off season, which is code for when school is in, rates are cheaper, deals are more appealing and crowds are fewer in the usual tourist haunts. And there’s a benefit too of being away from the din of electronic games and television for both grandparents and kids.

There are other advantages to taking children out of school for a trip, especially if there’s a chance for enrichment. Seeing snow in the Rockies, or viewing The Grand Canyon, the Roman Forum or the Eiffel Tower in 3D is a geography or history lesson itself. With funding cuts in the education system, field trips that take kids on larger-than-life excursions like the ones above are tucked into the past.

Certainly, there are mixed reviews regarding the wisdom of taking children out of school for a vacation. Teachers are the best experts in sanctioning the trip. The child’s usual performance in school is an issue. A conscientious student will catch up; a slack student may have problems. The grade level is another issue. Students in secondary school, while they are the ones who may actually learn from an enrichment trip, have heavier workloads than children in the lower grades of an elementary school. For older grandchildren in secondary school, the decision to take the trip is theirs. They know best how missing school may impact their success. If the child is involved in athletic teams, coaches should be informed of the plans as well.

It’s important that the child’s parents give the teacher advance notice of the planned trip and arrange for any homework that should be completed during the trip so the child doesn’t fall behind. Often the time of year is critical in the education system and finding out whether there are important tests your grandchild will miss is critical to planning the trip around an appropriate time.

There should be, if necessary, time allotted on the vacation for doing homework. Perhaps math problems can be solved on the plane or spelling tests given before heading out for a day of sightseeing.

When possible, plan the trip over a time period that coincides with a holiday such as Easter or a professional development day so that fewer ‘school days’ are missed.

The child may benefit even more, besides enjoying the company of a grandparent, from a trip that has some educational value, especially if the destination is a place the child is currently learning about in history or geography.

To sweeten the deal, buy a souvenir gift for your grandchild to bring home to her teacher.

-Bonnie Baker Cowan

http://www.zoomermag.com/people/grand-travel-and-your-bucket-list/37325#more-37325 

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), Hamilton and surrounding areas.