Welcome to the audiobook of Hope for the Caregiver, written by Peter Rosenberger, radio host and 30-year caregiver. This audiobook is narrated by the author, Peter Rosenberger.
For more info, visit caregiverswithhope.com. Chapter 2. The Delta Doctrine. Listen to this from Aretha Franklin and Ted White. It don't take too much IQ to see what you're doing to me. You better think. That was from the Blues Brothers. I think she sang that song. That was a good movie.
One day while flying to Atlanta on Delta Airlines, duh, everything leaves through Atlanta Delta. I've discovered that flight attendants state the best advice for caregivers all day long. Listen to this. In the unlikely event of the loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Securely place your mask on first before helping anyone next to you who may need assistance.
We've all heard that. That small directive, which I call the Delta Doctrine, contains applicable wisdom for so many circumstances, but probably none as poignant as for those of us serving as a caregiver for a chronically ill or disabled loved one. Compassion and love often mistakenly lead us to hold our own breath while we try to help someone else breathe.
Once we make that decision, it's only a matter of time before we find ourselves gasping for air. And if we're unable to breathe, how can we help anyone else? Many of America's 65 million caregivers desperately tried to assist a vulnerable loved one while growing dangerously close to blacking out themselves. Grabbing the mask first is not a sign of selfishness, but rather the whisper of wisdom.
Unfortunately, that soft voice is hard to hear over their often deafening cries of someone we love. Those who push the wheelchair serve as the critical team player for a suffering patient. Sadly, too many caregivers don't know how to create a sustainable care structure for themselves.
Simply getting sleep and eating a proper diet is not enough. Caregivers must remain healthy physically, financially, emotionally, professionally and spiritually. But staying healthy is impossible if we don't reach for the mask first. Help is available, but caregivers must be willing to accept that help while tuning out the fear and sometimes the panic that can consume us during highly stressful moments.
On a plane, one must simply reach for the mask that dangles. For caregivers, however, reaching for help is different. Most of the conflicts that caregivers experience involve relationship dynamics. If the patient is bleeding or injured, then it is a medical crisis, and that involves a different set of skills and needs, generally referred to as triage. Caregiving scenarios that strain the bonds of friends, family and marriage could benefit from emotional triage. Since the one who suffers will, by definition, probably not be providing leadership in those areas, it's up to the caregivers to ensure their own safety and well-being.
Just as paramedics trained to care for an agitated and sometimes even violent patient, caregivers can learn to protect their own emotional safety and peace of mind. When the turbulence of caregiving hits, I have found three simple things that help me make healthy and positive decisions in high-stress moments. Wait, water, and walk. Let's talk with this. Wait. Take a moment before responding. Regardless if the culprit is dementia, drugs, or your just loved one behaving badly, let's start with wait. Wait. Take a moment before responding.
Regardless if the culprit is dementia, drugs, or your just loved one behaving badly, let's start with wait. All types of emotional tug-of-wars seem to be happening simultaneously while caregiving. If you pick up the rope and involve yourself in a tug-of-war, one of two things will happen.
You will win and end up on your rear, or you will lose and end up on your face. Don't pick up the rope. Simply wait before responding.
Rarely do you have to apologize or make amends for something you didn't say. Breathe slowly. Inhale four seconds, exhale eight seconds until you feel yourself growing calmer.
You know, stress and anger are toxic for good decisions, so we've got to breathe a little slower and settle ourselves down. Drink some cool water. It will buy you time to think more clearly. Avoid sugary drinks or even coffee, and instead grab a bottle or glass of water. Your body needs water. Your brain needs water.
From high blood pressure to fatigue, water helps a myriad of issues. A tanked-up brain functions better. Drink to think. Walk. Caregiving creates extreme stress, so when things are bouncing off the walls, take a few moments to put on some comfortable shoes and walk off some of that tension. By doing so, you are truly putting on the mask first, getting better oxygen to your body and brain, and bleeding off anxiety. Walking immediately helps facilitate calmness. Settling yourself down allows you to bring your A-game to the caregiving scenario. Wait, water, walk. Costs little or nothing, but can instantly help a caregiver make better decisions. Calm down and feel more at peace. These are the initial steps of the Delta doctrine. Put your mask on first is the most responsible and caring steps in your efforts to help others. In doing so, the patient gets a healthier, confident, stronger, and more self-controlled caregiver who can provide leadership while offering love.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-01-22 03:32:32 / 2024-01-22 03:35:00 / 2