Category Archives: Health

Caregiving Dietary Needs vs Family Wants

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Mealtime can be complicated when you bring someone into your home with special needs or when a family member is advised to drastically change their eating habits. Your family, like mine, wants meat, potatoes, pastas and breads and snacks. How do you meet these special dietary needs and keep the family content?

Caregivers often feel stretched to the limit. Struggling to prepare foods that meet everyone’s likes and needs can seem overwhelming. Here are a few ideas to ease stress and free some time. At the end is suggestions for a week’s menu.

  1. Determine the absolute needs of each person you will be preparing food for. Is salt an issue? Fats? Gluten? Other considerations?
  2. Look at your list and determine which foods will work for everyone. What items can be adjusted to meet current needs? What can you eliminate completely and still have good variety?
  3. Consider some new foods and dishes that will meet the needs of the entire household. New preparation methods (see below) will add variety and flavor to old standbys.

Here is a simple week’s menu for a household that includes heavy eaters and a person eating gluten-free foods and no meat or meat products.

Load crock pot with beef roast and stew meat. (If you prefer, use chicken or pork for your meat.) As that cooks, fill a large pan with chopped veggies: potatoes, carrots, leeks, green beans, etc. I added frozen vegetables, chopped spinach, and canned chopped tomatoes. Divide when cooked and add stew meat and stock to one pan of vegetables. This will provide each group with several days of good soup.

Later in the week, cook a big pot of beans for everyone. Be sure to add several kinds of beans for variety and taste. Season according to the needs of those you are serving. It’s best if possible to reserve the salt for table use.

For everyone, make a large salad with greens, radish, green onions, peppers, celery, and other fresh vegetables. For added freshness, do not add tomatoes until ready to serve. For variety at the end of the week, add fruit and nuts to the salad.

For between-meal snacks, I kept a large jar of mixed nuts on the counter and loads of fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. The refrigerator was stocked with boiled eggs, veggie sticks, fresh berries, and apples.

The regular diet will include: hearty stew and cornbread; roast beef, baked potato and salad; bbq beef sandwiches; beef and noodles. The gluten-free, no-meat diet had vegetable stew, salads, and fresh veggies and fruits. Sautéed sliced mushrooms, leeks, and spinach with slivered almonds made a nice warm dish. Try grilling squash, peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, and many fruits for great addition to a meal.

At night, gluten-free chex topped with low fat yogurt and berries made a healthy, low-cal meal.

The bottom line: relax, don’t stress when challenged with something new. Don’t be afraid to try new things on your family. Everyone benefits with a healthier menu.

Hugs,

Find more tips on healthy eating under my “Articles for Caregivers” tab above.

Maintaining Good Health by Caring for Our Feet

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 We take great strides in caring for our family and ourselves by providing good nutrition, safe environments and comfortable surroundings. Even so, there is a part of our bodies we often overlook. Our feet are vital to our over all well being and mobility, yet easy to neglect in our daily care and maintenance.

            Do you take proper care of your own feet? Do they ache, get overly tired, and have itchy dry scales, calluses and corns? Do you seem to waddle when you walk because they hurt so?

            How about those in your care? Perhaps they hesitate to walk when you want them to because of aching feet. As you bathe them or help them dress, do you notice whether they have any pressure points or rough places on their feet that may need extra care?

            This year I determined to take better care of myself including my feet. After soaking them in warm water, I dried them carefully, messaged them with a generous amount of lotion and put on snug, supporting thigh high stockings. However, all my attempts at softening my heels and getting rid of my corns and calluses were of no avail; in fact, my feet were getting worse instead of better. The drier my feet became, the more lotion I used.

            In desperation, I made an appointment with a podiatrist. I reasoned his fee would be worth it to care for my “transportation vehicles”.

            One look at my feet and he asked, “Are you putting heavy lotions and creams on your feet? Between your toes? On your flaky heels?”

            “Yes, faithfully every day.”

            “Don’t do that!”

            Ooops!

            The doctor then gave me a three minute lecture on feet health. He said the fungal infection on my toes and the bottom of my feet was made worse with lotion. Fungus thrives in moist, dark places; even the scales and cracks on my heals were being fed by the moist lotion kept warm by the socks. (Note: for the tops of feet and ankles, a thin layer of an emollient-enriched cream can help to hydrate.)

            Applying an anti-fungal cream twice a day to clean dry feet and changing socks daily have begun to improve the way my feet look and feel. While it may not have entirely brought back the spring in my step, at least I don’t waddle when I walk!

            Our feet are vital to good health and well-being. Invest some time in caring for them. While you can get some good information online, I suggest you talk with your doctor or pharmacist for reliable advice on how to have healthy, comfortable feet for yourself and those in your care.

Hugs,

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Holiday Stress Part One Cards and Letters

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For my caregiver friends busy with family,  elderly parents and others, does it seem the holiday season landed over night? With it more responsibility is added to our over-filled calendars. Can you relate?

Before you stress thinking about extra work,  grab a pen and paper. We’ll spend a few minutes looking at things that bug you when left unattended.  I have found my life goes much smoother if I can keep the bugs out!

List things that seem to eat up your time and thoughts.  Look objectively at the whole picture. When you finish,  circle no more than three things that bother you most. If you are like me, it is the little things that seem to weigh heavy day after day, not unlike a tiny gravel in your shoe.

My top three will seem as nothing compared to yours. That is what we are wanting, to identify the things real and personal to you. Using mine as an example should encourage you to work on your list. (Remember to contact me anytime.)

Number one on my list used to bug me every year. Energetic, organized friends and family sent out wonderful, newsy cards right after Thanksgiving. Immediately I felt guilty for not having done mine. I barely had time to read the letters, certainly not answer them, make a call or send a card.  They seemed to stack up all over the place and I could never imagine throwing them away unacknowledged.

I need to say here that I love getting cards and letters, anytime. People spend time to write a letter or choose a card. They spend money on cards and stamps and trips to the mailbox. I value each precious card I get. It isn’t the cards or letters, it is what to do with them. I don’t want them lost in a bunch of junk mail or tossed out when read.

Here is a simple solution I began a few years ago.

1. Provide a place for them. I found a colorful basket with a handle at a thrift shop that is perfect. The cards can stand on end and be easily seen.

2. I keep an inexpensive address book at the back of the basket to jot down current addresses or personal information gleaned from the letters. I put return addresses on the back of the card so it’s ready to answer.

3. I put the “Blessing Basket” on the same table each year for all to enjoy. I have read them many times over to those in my care. The colorful pictures are good conversation starters with children or elderly patients. When appropriate, share stories about the sender.

4. In  January and February, I often answer the cards, a few at a time. Simply pulling one out at random is like entertaining an unexpected guest. As time permits, I write notes even to those who simply signed their cards. What beautiful “visit” I’ve had on dreary winter days. When I cared for Mother, I wrote letters for her in January, it was a fun time.

5. My basket of cards is also a prayer reminder; thankful to God for each person who took time to send one. Praying for their needs at least once or twice a year makes me feel closer to them. Now I look forward to those early birds and their notes.

We’ll take on #2 on my list in our next visit. I think you may have a similar item on your list; it has to do with gifts.

In the meantime, I want to say I am so very, very thankful for each of you taking time to “listen” to my chatter. I pray for you and do hope to be a help an encouragement in your journey.

Hugs,

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