September 2009 Archives

Once you know the sources of stress (refer to last week's entry for tips to identify the causes of stress), you must determine which are ones you can do something about and which are beyond your control. Successful coping involves accepting what you can and cannot change.

For example, you will not be able to change a parent who has always been demanding and inflexible, but you can control how you respond to your parent's demands. If your father has a progressively debilitating illness, you can't change that. However, you can develop skills for coping with the changes brought on by his illness.

Usually, some action can be taken to decrease stress. Changes don't have to be major to make an important difference. Sometimes, letting go of unrealistic expectations or adjusting your standards of how often or how well you perform a task (such as housekeeping) will make a big difference in reducing your stress.

In general, professionals who have extensive experience working with caregivers agree on five basic strategies to help control the destructive effects of stress. They are:

• Set realistic goals and expectations.

     - Plan achieveable goals.

     - Develop realistic expectations.

. 

• Establish your limits.

.

• Ask for and accept help.

.

• Take care of yourself.

     - Express your feelings.

     - Maintain your health.

     - Take time for yourself

.

• Involve other people.

     - Hold a family conference.

     - Seek professional assistance.

     - Use your community resources.

 

This flu season is expected to be especially active but, by taking common-sense precautions, you can reduce your risk of contracting seasonal flu and the novel H1N1 influenza, and/or spreading the flu to others.

The flu virus becomes airborne from coughs and sneezes and easily survives on surfaces for eight hours.  Good hygienic practices, self-isolation and social distancing can significantly decrease the spread of the flu.

Some steps you can take to manage your risk include:

*  Get a seasonal flu shot now and be prepared to get the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine later. It is expected to be available in mid-October.

*  Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you and use it often.

*  Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes.

*  Keep a distance of three to six feet between you and those who are ill.

*  Don't eat, drink, or smoke after others.

*  Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve so viruses are trapped in the fabric of your clothing and so you do not contaminate your hands.

*  If you cough into a tissue, throw it in a wastebasket immediately. Don't lay it on a surface that others might touch. Wash or sanitize your hands as soon a possible.

If you do contract the flu, stay home until you are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicines.

Further information on the flu can be found at the following URLs:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/txflu/default.shtm

http://texashelp.tamu.edu

 

 

 

 

Last week we discussed the warning signs of caregiving stress. Once you recognize the stress, the next step is to identify the stressor -- What caused it?

The causes of stress vary with the caregiver and his/her responsibilities. What creates stress for you may not create stress for someone else. There are, however, some common sources of caregiving stress, which can be identified in the next series of questions.

After you answer the questions, look carefully at those to which you answered "yes." You will want to focus your full attention on these specific areas as you work to reduce stress.

• Are there many demands on your time, energy, or money?
• Do you feel that your responsibilities conflict with each other?
• Is there a difference in the expectations of your family, your boss, your dependent relative and yourself?
• Do you believe that you do not fully understand the older person's mental or physical condition?
• Do you have difficulty meeting your relative's physical or emotional needs?
• Are you pressured by financial decisions and a lack of resources?
• Do you feel a loss of freedom, a sense of being "trapped"?
• Is there disagreement among family members?
• Do you feel that other family members aren't doing their share?
• Does the older person place unrealistic demands and expectations on you?
• Is there a lack of open communication between yourself and the older person or other members of the family?
• Do other family memebers have negative attitudes that you must contend with?
• Can you see deterioration in your family member that is painful to watch?
• Do you have other problems with children, marriage, employment, or health?

Stay tuned next week for strategies to manage stress. 

Texas AgriLife Extension Service is partnering with the Texas Education Agency to host a "Beat TEA - Walk Across Texas Challenge!"

Walk Across Texas is a program from AgriLife Extension that encourages people of all ages to increase their levels of physical activity.  It is an eight week walking program that has been used with youth and adults.

During the third week of September we observe Obesity Awareness Month.  TEA will be initiating a challenge to all Independent School Districts encouraging them to participate in a friendly competition.  The goal is to motivate our youth to move more!

Research done at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research indicates that:

*  Academic Performance (TAKS) - Higher levels of fitness are associated with better academic performance.

*  School Attendance - Higher levels of fitness are associated with better school attendance.

*  School Incidents - Higher levels of fitness are associated with fewer negative school incidents.

If your school is interested in participating in the Beat TEA! Walk Across Texas Challenge, contact Lexie at 214-904-3050, or amcgrane@ag.tamu.edu.

 

As we observe Obesity Awareness Week, it is helpful to think about ways in which we can manage our waistline by making healthy changes to our lifestyle.  Most of us would agree that losing weight can be difficult and, as we age, maintaining a healthful weight becomes even more of a challenge.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research conducted on the role of fruits and vegetables in weight management, suggests that a diet which includes an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables may help.

To lose weight, a person must consume fewer calories than he or she expends.  However, most of us do not limit what we eat based on calories, but rather from the feeling of satiety (fullness).  Fruits and vegetables are foods with low energy density that provide a greater volume of food and fewer calories.  In other words, eating more fruits and vegetables can create the feeling of fullness but still provide fewer calories.

The following tips can help us add more fruits and vegetables to our diet and promote healthy weight:

*  Add fresh fruit to your cold cereal

*  Enjoy a small salad with your lunch

*  Cover half of your dinner plate with vegetables, or fruits and vegetables; and

*  Remember to enjoy your fruits and vegetables without added sugars, fats or sodium.

Family members who play a major role in caring for elderly relatives often ignore their own needs. However, it's just as important to take care of your own needs as it is to provide the best care for your dependent loved one. Ignoring your own needs and failing to manage stress can harm both you and the person depending on you.

When you experience an unusual level of stress, certain warning signals occur. Answering the following questions will increase your awareness of these signs. A "yes" answer to even some of these questions can indicate stress that has become debilitating. Recognizing the source of this stress is the next step in dealing with its destructive effects.

• Do you feel a loss of energy or zest for life?
• Do you feel out of control, acting or behaving in uncharacteristic ways?
• Do you lack interest in people or things that you once enjoyed?
• Do you feel increasingly isolated?
• Are you consuming more sleeping pills, medications, alcohol, caffeine or cigarettes than usual?
• Are you having increased health problems -- for example, high blood pressure, ulcers or difficulties with digestion?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep at night, or do you wake up too early or sleep too much?
• Have you noticed a change in your appetite or eating habits?
• Do you have trouble concentrating or remembering things?
• Are you increasingly irritable or impatient with others?
• Do you have thoughts of suicide?

Visit Lifeline next week for information on the causes of caregiving stress.

A community event sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging of Dallas County and Mental Health America of Greater Dallas will address caregiving stress on September 24. Review the event flyer Stress 9-24-09.doc for more information.

Children react to disaster differently according to their age.  They may respond to disaster by demonstrating increased anxiety or emotional and behavioral problems.

According to the American Red Cross, children from birth to 2 years of age may display some of the following common physical and emotional reactions after a disaster or traumatic event.

Birth to 2 years--When children are pre-verbal and experience a trauma, they do not have the words to describe the event or their feelings.  However, they can retain memories of particular sights, sounds, or smells.  Infants may react to trauma by being irritable, crying more than usual, or wanting to be held and cuddled.  As children get older, their play may involve acting  our elements of the traumatic event that occurred several years in the past and was seemingly forgotten.

Stay tuned to "Lifeline" for more information on other age groups and how they cope with disaster and traumatic events.

For more information on helping children cope with disaster or traumatic events, please contact us or visit our websites at:
pvcep.pvamu.edu; or
dallas-tx.tamu.edu; or contact Marvin R. Young at 214-904-3050 or mryoung@tamu.edu

New traffic laws took effect September 1st in Texas. Listed below are a few you should be aware of but please visit the Texas Department of Public Safety website (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/pr081109.pdf) for more details.

1. Teen Drivers: The laws for teenage drivers are getting tougher. Drivers younger than 18 are banned from using cell phones while driving (dialing, talking, texting) and total hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction a teen receives is increasing from 14 to 34 before getting a license.
2. Driving in a School Zone: The use of a wireless device within a reduced-speed zone is prohibited. Cellular phones may be used while the vehicle is stopped in a school zone or with a hands-free device. The law also applies to bus drivers. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $200.
3. Seat Belts: All occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, front and back seat, must wear seat belts.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service urges you to be a safe driver and drive safe!

Texas AgriLife Extension Service-Denton County and Texas Woman's University together will host the 2009 Power of a Healthy Woman Symposium on Saturday, September 19, 2009, 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas.

The purpose of this symposium is to increase knowledge of health risks among women over the age of 18. The intent is to raise early awareness among young women for disease prevention and health promotion. The speakers will provide valuable tools, specific to women, that ease incorporating daily wellness strategies in the areas of healthy eating, stress management, and financial health. Women over the age of 18 are encouraged to attend.

For additional information and registration visit http://www.twu.edu/ce/Healthy-Woman.asp

September is National Preparedness Month. When unexpected disaster occurred, families and individuals are likely to experience trauma that may have long-lasting effects. The National Council on Family Relations offers research findings and recommendations for disaster survivors and their family members.

• Trauma Survivors are not "ill." Most trauma survivors will not experience long-term mental illness and will remain healthy, functional, and resilient individuals. Time and support will help them return to well-being.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not inevitable. Most trauma survivors do not report symptoms consistent with the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. It is important to be aware of other signs of distress as well. 
• The rush to "closure" is not cure. Well-meaning but uninformed interventions promoting premature "closure" can exacerbate existing trauma.
• Encourage families to take charge of their own recovery. Family scientists discover that families usually have the tools that they need for coping with crisis. Helpers can assist families in recognizing their own existing resourcefulness and resiliency. 
• Tap the strength of community. It is important to recognize that interventions and support for survivors of a disaster are best provided by a variety of people across both formal and informal means. Certified Family Life Educators, clergy and community leaders can be effective facilitators for this process, making help more available and timely. 
• Help the helpers. Those helping trauma survivors must also be on guard for experiencing secondary trauma, or "compassion fatigue." Caregivers and counselors should have access to information on preventing and dealing with burnout. The helper's spouse or partner should also be involved in the process.
• Reconstruct hope. Research on families and trauma shows that traumatized families' journey back to well-being is not only possible -- it is the usual and expected outcome. There is hope, and the odds are in their favor.