assisted living made simple

       Assisted Senior                 Services!


Your one stop for Senior services!!!

Top 3 Caregiver Guilt Myths

Donna Nichols • August 4, 2022

Are you caring for a loved one or a friend and sometimes think you’re not doing a good enough job?

This is a very common feeling and everyone feels this guilt at some point in time. There is nothing wrong with you, it is completely normal to have these feelings and break down every now and then.

We will take a look at some of the common caregiver guilt myths and how to deal with them in order to help you overcome some of the guilt you may feel.

We also hold five (5) Alzheimer’s/Dementia caregiver support groups a month; please check our resources page for the location nearest to you, https://almsnsb.com/resources/  

Myth #1 – You’re Not Doing Enough

→ Do you ever tell yourself you should do more for the person you are caring for? That you should be assisting them every moment of every day? That nothing is more important than caring for them?

Stop telling yourself this!! The care you are providing is EXCELLENT and it is the best you can do. Do NOT let anyone convince you otherwise. You NEED to take time for yourself, or there could be damaging health consequences to your own health. Then who would take care of your loved one?

Caregiver Burnout is real and it is okay for you to bring in help and go for a walk, to the movies, out to dinner, or whatever you like to do for a little while. In fact, it is recommended!!

Myth #2 – Why is my loved one not improving?

→ How about this one: If I was a good caregiver, my loved one would be improving physically and mentally. Wrong!!

Yes, sometimes improvements can be made, but the truth of the matter is that your loved one is aging. With aging comes declination in the ability to function physically and sometimes mentally. Some seniors have underlying health conditions that cause further declination as well. Nothing you can do will reverse the process, so stop stressing over it and beating yourself up!!

Myth #3 – I made a bad decision

→ Here’s another good myth: If I had made a better decision, things wouldn’t be going so badly. What does that even mean?!?!?

How could you have possibly known what the outcome of your decision would have been?

You made the best decision based on the information you had at that time. Stop beating yourself up, there’s no way you can see into the future and predict the outcome would have been any different if you had chosen a different course of action. Learn from the mistake and do everything possible to avoid making it again.

Don’t let caregiver guilt get the better of you; you are doing everything you can.

I cannot reiterate enough how important it is to take time for yourself! This is so important to your overall health; PLEASE make time for yourself during this difficult stage. Things are hard enough without you making them harder.

Also, needing help is nothing to be ashamed of!

We all need help sometimes; if you find you just can’t cope anymore and think you are alone in this journey, please know that is NOT the case.

Come to one of our local support groups; you won’t believe how much better you will feel just knowing there are so many others going through the exact same things you are going through and you may even learn some pointers on how to deal with your situation better.

PLEASE reach out to us for assistance! You are NOT alone!!

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
More Posts
Share by: