Page 7 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - June 2016 - 23-06

THE SOONER THE BETTER?
As Family Caregivers we face many challenges – and many times we feel that we are facing them alone. So what do we do about that? Do
we ask for help? Do we assume that we’ll make it through without help? Do we tell ourselves we’re not being as strong as we should be? What are you saying to yourself?
Family Caregiving is such a hard task because you become the “everything” for that person – the CEO of the job, the CFO of all the finances (which many times you have never really bothered with), the nurse for all the health care needs, the activity planner for any and all activities... the list goes on and on.
But how are you handling the stress of the everyday life?
These questions I ask due to the focus of the month – Elder Abuse Prevention. As we all know, elder abuse isn’t just about physical abuse, there are so many other issues. However, for Family Caregivers it can be the overload of stress and how we are reacting that can cause
– in some cases – abuse and it’s not always physical. It can be leaving them in wet under-garments too long; it can be from an emotional (both spoken and unspoken) aspect; it can be spending money that might not belong to you, etc.
A few times I’ve mentioned the post from an unknown author about, “How heavy is your glass of water?” (Google it for the complete writing.) This really talks about how long we can hold up under stress in the
analogy of a glass of water – at the beginning we can hold the glass with- out problem but after time, the weight of the glass becomes unbearable. Well stress from caregiving is no different; at first we handle it without problem and then before we know it we’re see- ing signs. Signs might include tem- pers that are becoming short, things bother us that never seemed to bother us before, we have no energy, or maybe we’re isolating ourselves.
And it’s not just stress that can cause the possible abuse. It can be many other factors such as unresolved issues from years past; how we view our roles as the caregiver; a plum- meting self-esteem resulting from caregiver stress; hearing more nega- tive feedback from others (who typi- cally have no clue what you’re going through!); again the list can go on and on.
The risk can be there and it’s extremely important to recognize it, do something about it (like reaching out for professional help, attending a support group, getting better educated about the condition you are dealing with, etc.) and most importantly take care of yourself!
Don’t let the possibility of abuse knock on your door – we are very fortunate to have services to help walk the journey with you! For more information please feel free to contact me at aclark@seniorhealthpartners. com or by calling (269) 441-0920
or stop by one of our many support groups (see the listing on page 6 in this publication).
Happy June to all and may you all be blessed for the love and support you give every day!
CORNER
Anne Clark, Special to Senior Times
Senior Times - June 2016
Page 7
caregiver’s
CHAPEL HILL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
157 Chapel Hill Drive, (269) 963-0231, www.chapelhill-umc.org
• Rev. Chad Parmalee, Pastor
• Traditional Service 9am; Praise Service 11am • Breakfast served all morning
• Barrier Free
• Nursery provided all morning
ST. PHILIP CATHOLIC CHURCH
126 Capital Ave. NE, Battle Creek, MI 49017
• Fr. John Fleckenstein, V.E. & Fr. Francis Marotti, Assoc. Pastor • Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:30pm; Sun. 9am, 11:30am
If you’re homebound and would like the weekly bulletin mailed to you, please call the Parish Office at (269) 968-6645.
WESTLAKE PRESBYTERIAN
415 S. 28th Street, Battle Creek, MI 49015
• Paster Kate Johnston
• Adult Sunday School 9:15am
• Church Service 10:30am
• Children are released from the Service after children’s time
Senior Center Activity
Albion area seniors can participate in rec- reational activity, social enrichment, health benefit reviews, and fitness programs.
Forks Senior Center – Albion
517-629-3842
Senior Fitness & Fun
Seniors can participate in health education, guided exercise, health screenings, and ongoing progress monitoring at sites throughout the County.
Senior Health Partners
A partnership of Bronson Battle Creek, CentraCare, Calhoun County Senior Services, Rgn 3B Area Agen- cy on Aging, and Summit Pointe. - 269-441-0948
315 West Green Street, Marshall, MI 49068 Office: 269-781-0846
Toll free: 877-645-5243
Fax: 269-781-0770 www.calhouncountymi.gov/seniorservices
World Doll Day
Is Saturday June 11
To celebrate World Doll Day NorthPointe Woods has invited the Battle Creek Area Doll Club to share a variety of their favorite dolls. They welcome you to bring in your favorite doll(s) to share as well. Or maybe you have a doll that you have always wondered about its origins, age, value, etc. Bring it along and learn a little more about it from one of the Doll Club Members!
Join them for a day of fun and friends!
Saturday, June 11, 1-3pm
NorthPointe Woods Activity Room
NorthPointe Woods is located at 700 North Ave. in Battle Creek. Please RSVP at (269) 964-7625.
Anniversaries, Graduations, Birthdays or For Any Occasion, Flowers Say It All!
84 W. Goguac St., Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 963-5571  (877) 266-0904  www.swonksflowershop.com
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
Worship With Us
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