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How the Easing the Burden of Care

When someone is ill, be it mentally or physically it becomes very difficult for them to manage everything. But, it is more of a difficult task for the caretaker of the person who is ill. It becomes a challenging and a very stressful task for the caretaker to care for the ill person.

Thus, for the caretaker, it can also increase the chances of extreme stress, anxiety or even depression. Also, due to this stress, the caretaker slowly moves towards a burnout. But, the caretaker is always hesitant to hand over their duties, because they feel like, no one else would be able to handle the situation efficiently as they could.

Thus, below are some tips on easing the burden of care for the caretaker:

Recharge:

While taking care of someone, it is absolutely okay to take breaks for oneself. One needs to keep their own well-being in mind while taking care of the other person. Many people refuse to take breaks because after that they feel guilty. But, there is nothing to be guilty about because it is for your own as well as their good.

Setting Limits:

While taking care of someone we often forget our own limitations. We tend to give our hundred percent to everything we do. Thus, end up creating an impossible to-do list. It’s very important to know our own limits and know what we can do and we cannot. You can also take help of a family member if you are not able to set up limits for yourself.

Proper sleep and Eating:

Often more than less, the most effective area for the caretaker is their eating and sleeping habits. While taking care of someone, we forget to take care of ourselves and many nights we are not able to sleep or usually skip a meal in a day. But, it is very important to eat a balanced meal and have proper sleep while taking care of someone. It keeps your energy recharged and you are able to focus on the caregiving process better.

Rotation of Shift:

One of the best ways to ease the burden of care is to take turns. If someone is sick, it doesn’t become your sole responsibility to take care of the person. If each family member takes turns to take care of the person then it doesn’t feel stressful for only one person. Thus, dividing the tasks and able to help the person in a much better way.

Explore other Options:

It becomes very difficult for someone to hand over the caring duties of the loved one. But, it is important to look at professional options. Also, while searching for professional options it is better the take the choices of the person receiving the care. It is also very important to do a thorough background check on the agency you are hiring. Hiring a professional will ease your stress levels and it will also help the person who is receiving the care.

It is a difficult and a very stressful task to take care of your loved ones. But, it is okay to take some respite for yourself. But, if you think you are taking care of someone and are feeling very stressed, it is not a bad option to look for professional help for yourself.

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Telepathy is a phenomenon under the broad Umbrella term of Extrasensory Perception(ESP) as defined in Parapsychology.

Clairvoyance, clairaudience,  are similar to the phenomenon of Telepathy.

Telepathy is communication of a message from one mind to another without any medium. For example, you get a call from a friend the moment you think of him; Though you were out of touch with him since long. This is beyond your learned knowledge and intellect.

Research cannot establish the occurrence of  Telepathy; but science has confirmed that you are made up of frequencies, vibrations, and molecules. Your frequency can be transmitted to another person provided you have shared a physical space at some point in your life.

It is not possible to measure, control or observe an event like Telepathy and hence the limitation in Research.

These could be some of the possible explanations of Telepathy:

• You have Neurons in your brain, called Mirror neurons which act as mirrors;  hence you would have noticed some people can read other people’s mind better. Research has shown that you can even understand the emotions and intentions of the other person automatically. If you have higher levels of oxytocin, the chances are that you would be better at understanding and reading these social cues.

• Research in this area has also demonstrated that you might be more Telepathic than your friend. A brain-imaging study done on a Telepathic person’s brain showed more activation in the right parahippocampal gyrus(Area of the brain).
• The more dopamine you have in your brain, the greater are the chances of unfounded beliefs ( this is not an indicator of any pathology). Studies have indicated a genetic difference in dopamine transmission of Telepathic people.

Although, we do not have any substantial research in this area, It is interesting enough to explore and know more about Telepathy.

If you need Psychologist click here

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We have all seen the movie Black, where Amitabh Bachchan acts as a professor who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The movie provided us with very good entertainment. But, it also taught us a bit about the illness. It also provided us with a fear, where we start thinking what if we get this illness. The usual response is, that we can hope for the best of not getting this illness. But, there are certain things you can do to reduce the risk of Alzheimer.

Hence, below are few Tips on reducing the risk of Alzheimer:

Regular Exercise:

It’s very important to exercise regularly. Exercising keeps the body and mind engaged and active. It is medically proven that regular exercise reduces the risk of the illness 50%. Exercising keeps the mind co-ordinated with the motor functions. Also, it helps you stay focused and keeps an active engagement with the mind. But, make sure while exercising you don’t receive any head injuries.

Social Life:

It’s important to have a social life. A person cannot live in isolation as human beings are social creatures. Listening to someone and then being heard by someone validates our existence. Isolating oneself from everyone increases the chance of Alzheimer’s. The chances are increased because you are telling your brain to isolate yourself. Thus, it is important to engage with people. You don’t have to be surrounded by people all the time. But, talking with a loved one or a close person is an engagement enough to stimulate the brain.

Eat-Healthy Diet:

In this illness, the brain neurons start losing connections between them. Thus, making communication between the cells more difficult. By having a healthy and proper diet, it is possible to reduce the amount of disconnection between the cells and the brain. Vitamin D, E B12 and other supplements in food reduce the level of disconnection. Eating healthy fruits and green vegetables should comprise in your diet. Try reducing fatty foods and sugar intake.

Mental Stimulation:

Keeping the brain active throughout helps in prevention of the illness. There is always a necessity of mental stimulation. When the mind is constantly challenged and stimulated there is constant activity within the brain. Through which the brains are active and help in preventing the illness. To have mental stimulation, you can learn a new word every day, or start playing sudoku, or start practising writing with the less dominant hand, etc.

Good Sleep:

Having a good sleep refreshes your mind and enables you to accept new information. People suffering from Alzheimer’s illness suffers from a lot of sleep-related problems. Hence, having good and proper sleep helps in the prevention of the illness. Having a good and deep sleep rests your mind and body, which not only helps with prevention of this illness but also helps in prevention and cure of other illnesses.

Also, read our blog on getting a Razor sharp memory

Stress Level Check:

Constant worrying and stress escalate the process of the illness. Thus, it is necessary for you to keep a check on the stress levels. Stress management and relaxation exercises help in reduction and prevention of the illness. Thus, simple exercises like deep breathing, walking in the park etc, reduces stress.

The above tips can help in the prevention of the illness. Also, these tips can actually help you lead a happy and healthy life.

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For children, the death of their grandparent is often the first exposure they have to the idea of mortality. Therefore, before anything else, they first need to be introduced and familiarised with the concept of death. The child might struggle with a range of emotions during such times, just like any other adult. They might feel angry, upset, and confused. However, unlike adults, children are not yet equipped to deal with such a mixed bag of emotions. Therefore, the support of their parents comes to the forefront, to help them cope with the loss. Additionally, because this might be their first encounter with the death of someone, they might have a lost of questions to ask. Thus, giving them a patient hear and clearing their doubts also becomes important.

How children respond to death and grieve will determine how they handle such losses in the future as well. How much and how they grieve will also depend on the relationship proximity they shared with their grandparent. Children often tend to be extremely close to their grandparents during their childhood as they act as secondary, if not primary caregivers. Therefore, losing them can be a big blow for a child.

The following tips might help you support your child as they cope with the loss of heir grandparent –

• Answer their questions honestly and maintain consistency.
• Avoid using euphemisms. Use simple language.
• Provide the platform to express themselves freely. Listen and accept their feelings. Comfort them.
• Give them the time and space they need to grieve. Understand that some children may grieve way after the death has occurred.
• Try not to put the entire onus of death on old age as this might instill a fear in the child about losing everyone who is turning old.
• Ensure that the child does not feel that they are to be blamed for the death in any way. Tell them that death is a natural part of life and not a form of punishment.

  

• Create a ritual or ceremony that helps the child remember and preserve their good memories.

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