MS: Tips For Caregivers

At-home care
For people with MS who have severe levels of disability, there are several solutions to practical problems. For example, someone who needs to be lifted from their wheelchair to their bed or bath can be moved using the proper kind of lift. Other at-home solutions might include making wider doorways, and installing grab bars in the bathroom and shower.

Sometime it's not always possible for a person with MS to live a life exactly like most people. Fortunately, there are many devices to help people with MS meet the challenges of daily living. Many of these things are available in your local shopping mall, in hardware stores, kitchen supply shops, drug stores, or department stores; others can be bought through hospitals and clinics; and there are companies that sell many of them over the Web – ask your local Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada support group for recommendations.

Some of the things available to make life easier with MS include:

• for around the house: special spring-style scissors, pegboards for easy-access storage, cupboard and closet organizers, revolving or fold-out storage devices, levers for door handles, key holders
• for the kitchen: jar openers, cutting boards with pegs to hold food in place, built-up utensils for easier gripping, carts
• for the bathroom: grab bars, toilet safety frames, rubber mats, long-handled sponges
• for the bedroom: aids for putting on socks, dressing sticks and reaching sticks, shoehorns, elastic laces, button hooks

Other care options
Providing care at home might be more challenging in some cases. There are different kinds of live-in care facilities, including assisted living, nursing homes, and cooperative care housing. Deciding what kind of facility is best will depend on individual care needs and the financial resources available.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers

Flexible roles
People with severe MS often lose their independence, and their caregivers sometimes take on more responsibilities. This shift can be a source of confusion or anxiety.

Sometimes the caregiver and the person with MS will have different perspectives about the same issue – about adaptations, medication side effects, or how best to schedule hired help. MS affects everyone involved, but it affects everyone differently. It might help to remember this.

MS is extremely changeable and unpredictable, and this can be difficult at first for a caregiver to understand. People with the condition experience periodic attacks of symptoms and remissions, and the loss and recovery or partial recovery of abilities. One day a person with MS can make dinner by themselves and button their shirt, and the next day they may require help for even the simplest of tasks. The caregiver often has to be flexible and help with tasks all the time, or in spurts.

Caregivers might need to rethink shifting responsibilities for each household chore. For example:

• Household tasks such as cleaning, shopping, cooking, laundry, child-care, and transportation.
• Care-related tasks such as dressing, bathing, eating, washroom issues, exercising, transportation, doctor visits, and taking medication.
• Daily activities such as work, recreation, exercise, and hobbies.

Plan to re-evaluate task assignments to family members and friends, as needs and circumstances change. And make sure to schedule personal time for everyone in the household.

Helping with daily activities
If a task seems impossibly difficult or stressful, there is often an easier way to do it. Your medical team can provide tips and techniques for bathing, dressing, washroom issues, and safe transfers (e.g., from wheelchairs to the bed or bathroom) for the person with MS. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and other caregivers are also good sources of advice and tips.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers

Family and friends
Family and friends can be an important source of care and support. The first step is to tell them that you, as a caregiver or person with MS, need and welcome their help. Friends often worry that offering help might seem intrusive, especially when it looks as if things are being handled well.

Keep a list of projects and errands that friends could do. Then you'll be ready the next time someone offers to help. Give people specific, time-limited tasks. For example, ask a friend or relative to pick your loved one up at the hospital, or shop for a pre-prepared list of groceries. Being specific will be more successful than asking them to stop by when they have a moment.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers

Providing emotional support and physical care to someone with MS is often rewarding, but may be sometimes distressing or overwhelming. Balancing employment, child-care, increased responsibilities in the home, and caring for someone with MS can be stressful.

One of the biggest mistakes caregivers make is thinking that they can – and should – handle everything alone. The best way to avoid burnout is to have the practical and emotional support of other people. Sharing problems with others not only relieves stress, but also can give you new perspectives on problems. Try to talk about your feelings with family or friends, or enlist the help of more professional services and support groups.

Coping strategies
Here are some suggestions to help you cope with your emotions and keep your moods on track:

• Keep a journal. Writing feelings and emotions down for yourself can help you safely express the thoughts swirling around in your head.
• Exercise. Physical activity is an excellent way to relieve stress and tame emotions such as anger and frustration. Go for a run, take a yoga class, go dancing, swimming, or play a team sport.
• Let your mind go. Being creative channels your thoughts in positive directions. Try painting, take photographs, bake your favorite cookie recipe with new ingredients, or take up a musical instrument.
• Relax. Taking time to just do nothing, breathe deeply, or daydream, can help you feel refreshed and put things into perspective. Listen to your favorite music, go for a walk in the sunshine, read a book by your favorite author, breathe slowly and deeply. You might be surprised at how much more relaxed you feel!
• Are we having fun yet? Call a good friend and talk about something fun, watch a comedy movie, go shopping, or play with a dog or cat. What are your favorite things? Think about these and indulge in something fun!

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers

Coping with strong emotions
You might feel a range of emotions if your parent has MS, and it helps not to hide or deny them. When talking with the parent who has MS, it helps to explain how you feel and why: "I feel afraid because I don't understand some of the symptoms and complications of MS - can you help explain a few things to me?" This kind of question directs your fear where it belongs - at your parent's condition - and not at the parent who happens to have it. The opposite approach (feeling afraid and taking it out as anger) doesn't help you or your parent.

You should also understand and try to cope with other emotions such as sadness, confusion, or frustration. Mull them over in your own mind for as long as you need to until they seem clearer, and then talk to someone about them. If talking to a parent is hard, perhaps another adult would be a good listener. For example, try talking to a family friend, school counselor or teacher, a youth group leader, or your family doctor.

Other solutions
A few suggestions below could help make life more manageable. Some you can do on your own, while others might need your parent's help.

Stay connected. Cell phones can give you some freedom and also give your parent a way to contact you in case of an emergency. Both you and your parent will feel more relaxed if you stay connected for the "just in case" situations.

Stick to the program. Schedule household chores and set up a family calendar on the refrigerator so that household tasks are distributed fairly. Rotate the jobs so that each person has a variety of things to do.

Reach out and ask for help. Feeling overwhelmed? If your parent's needs seem unmanageable or if you feel your parent is depressed (depression is sometimes linked to MS as a result of the condition), ask other family members or counselors for help.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers