October is such an amazing month in Arizona! The evenings are finally cooling down, and the sunsets are just spectacular.
This month’s issue of The Grand Season is geared to those of you caring for a loved one. Over the last few months, many people in my life have begun providing care for aging family members—this journey is not for the faint of heart. I hope this month’s articles will remind you that you’re not alone.
Now that Fall is fully upon us, it’s time to get those home improvement projects completed prior to the holidays. I’d like to encourage you to reach out to our advertising partners—I know they’ll make your home beautiful.
Thank you for your support of The Grand Season and our advertising partners. We couldn’t be on this incredible journey without you!
Happy Halloween
Melissa Whitton Editor/Associate Publisher FROM THE EDITOR
BATHROOMS
Ronnie & Tom
YOU PREVENT BURNOUT
As the population ages, more caregiving is provided by people who are not health care professionals. Approximately one-third of adults in the United States provide care to other adults as unpaid caregivers.
The demands of caring for an elderly parent, an aging spouse, or disabled child can result in a great deal of stress. If caregivers aren’t careful, they can jeopardize their own health and well-being.
There are steps you can take to limit caregiver stress and, also, reclaim a sense of balance, joy, and hope in your life. By learning to recognize the signs of caregiver stress, you prevent things from becoming worse. Here are a few red flags to watch for:
• Anxiety, depression, or irritability
• Feeling tired and run down
• Problems sleeping
• Overreacting to minor nuisances
• New or worsening health challenges
• Difficulty staying focused
• Neglecting personal responsibilities
• You struggle to relax when given the opportunity
• You are increasingly irritated or impatient with the person you are caring for or others
While caring for a loved one will never be stress-free, these tips can help you avoid the symptoms of caregiver burnout and find more balance in your life.
Practice Acceptance
When faced with the burden of caregiving, you may feel the need to make sense of the situation and ask, “Why?” You can spend a tremendous amount of energy dwelling on things
you can’t change. Aim to avoid the emotional trap of feeling sorry for yourself.
Look for the Silver Lining
Stop and think about how caregiving has made you stronger, or how your relationship with the person you are caring for has grown. Concentrate on the positive reasons behind being a caregiver.
Say “Yes” to Help
Do not be shy about accepting assistance from others, when experiencing caregiver stress and burnout. Make a list of small tasks that others can help you with, and let the helper choose what they feel comfortable doing.
Learn to Set Boundaries
You are human, and you cannot be everything to everybody. Say “no” to requests that are draining and stressful, such as hosting or planning a family event.
Take Care of Your Own Health
Those who provide care for a loved one tend to experience high chronic stress and skimp on self-care factors that raise the risk for many illnesses. Exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep are all important in coping with caregiver stress.
HOLLYWOOD HAPPENINGS
Who is 79-year-old London antique dealer Peter Hinwood? Hinwood was the blond, muscled, hunky model chosen for the role of Rocky in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in 1975. He had no acting experience, and his voice was dubbed in the film. Yet he was hot enough to be Dr. Frank-NFurter’s (Tim Curry) crush! Linwood confessed, “One, I can’t act. Two, I cringe with embarrassment every time I see myself on film. Three, I relish a quiet, peaceful life.” When the film opened, it was a dismal flop until a smart executive got the idea to show it in theaters at midnight. Not so suddenly, its $1.4 million cost turned into $166 million over 50 years. Since then, Curry’s won an Emmy as Captain Hook in “Peter Pan & the Pirates.” Susan Sarandon won an Oscar for “Dead Man Walking” (1995) after getting nominated for Best Actress four times previously! She also received six Emmy nominations and nine Golden Globe nominations. Then, of course, there was “Thelma & Louise” (1991). Barry Bostwick, the original Danny Zuko on Broadway in “Grease” (1972), won a Tony Award for “The Robber Bridegroom” (1976) and a Golden Globe for “War and Remembrance” (1989).
LOVE
BALANCING ACT
Caregiving can cause wear and tear on a marriage, especially when it’s a live-in situation. Marital strains, conflicts, tensions, and disagreements can stem from finances, less time together, stress, frustration, fatigue, and resentment. It’s hard to get along when you’re emotionally and physically exhausted from trying to balance everyone’s needs.
Maintaining your marriage while providing the best care possible for your loved one and not losing your sanity in the process is difficult, but not impossible. The solution to protecting and nurturing your marriage while caregiving lies in patience, understanding, emotional support, and a commitment to working together. Hopefully these ideas will help you achieve a stronger, more intimate relationship than ever.
Remember your spouse is your number one priority
Presumably, you’ll be spending the rest of your life with your spouse, long after your loved ones are gone. When your relationship is under stress, it’s important for both parties to make marriage a priority.
Communicate
Honest communication is the key to any healthy relationship. Staying connected helps prevent misunderstandings. Talk with your spouse about how this new role is affecting your relationship and how they can support you.
Adjust your expectations
Unrealistic expectations not only set you up for disappointment, but they also set you up for guilt, bitterness, frustration, and resentment. Set reasonable and realistic expectations for both yourself and your spouse. Remember that they’re doing their best, just like you.
Foster “we” time
Fun and romance are often the first things to fly out the window in a marriage, especially under the added stress of family caregiving. Three’s a crowd. Make sure you get some oneon-one, unchaperoned time together to reconnect. Otherwise, your partner will inevitably start to feel neglected.
Say “thank you”
Oftentimes you as the caregiver do not receive a “thank you,” so why would your partner? Make sure your spouse knows how much you appreciate their support by expressing your gratitude.
DINING GUIDE
Dinner and a Movie!
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7.
INSPIRE
OPEN ARMS
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Leo Buscaglia
A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.
Denis Waitley
Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.
Margaret Mead
From caring comes courage. Lao Tzu
Caring - about people, about things, about life - is an act of maturity. Tracy McMillan
Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.
Harold Kushner
The simple act of caring is heroic.
Edward Albert
Love isn’t a perfect state of caring. It’s an active noun, like ‘struggle.’ Fred Rogers
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Micro-Phlectopmy
Dr. Betty Hinderks Davis MD, FAAD
Dr. Jason Mussman MD, FACS
1. Is the book of Ecclesiastes (KJV) in the Old or New Testament or neither?
2. Which book could be summarized, “God will hold us accountable for all our actions”? Daniel, Hosea, Zephaniah, Haggai
3. From Genesis 28, who had the vision of angels going up and down a ladder reaching into heaven? Joseph, Ahab, Ehud, Jacob
4. What does Paul say is the supreme gift of the Spirit to believers? Faith, Love, Holiness, Eternity
5. From Genesis 19, where did Lot encounter an angel? Wilderness spring, City gate, New temple, Tent door
AAA SENIOR PLACEMENT AZ
A Message from Sue Royer
“I was born and raised in inner city Chicago, the sixth of eighteen children with fifteen brothers. Being the oldest daughter, I was always a caregiver which I believe influenced me to pursue work in the healthcare industry. Today, I have three daughters and five grandchildren.
Years ago, I volunteered for hospice and knew immediately that helping seniors was my calling. I was soon employed by hospice but I felt something was missing. I realized it was the limited time I was able to spend with my clients. Having my own business allows me to provide the intimate hands on service needed in our community. I am committed to our seniors throughout their lives and I thank the community for the opportunity to serve.”
Sue RoyerDirector
About Us
Since 2002, AAA Senior Placement AZ has been offering FREE services helping seniors find safe, affordable and loving assisted living.
When it becomes too difficult for you or your loved ones to safely manage daily living and/or manage medical needs, call Sue Royer for help navigating the many options available.
We are specialists in all levels of assisted living care resources with referrals to Arizona’s best:
• Group Homes
• Assisted Living Communities
• In-Home Primary Care Physicians
• Home Health Care Therapy
• Transportation
• Private Duty In-Home Care
• Respite Care
• Alzheimer’s Care
• Memory Care
• Hospice
• Support Groups
Assisted living resources accepting:
• Private pay
• Arizona Long Term Care-ALTCS
• Medicaid
• VA Benefits
6 Reasons You Should Call
AAA Senior Placement AZ
• We are well known and respected in the medical community.
• All clients are given a thorough assessment to determine proper placement needs.
• There is never a fee charged to the senior or their family for our service.
• We are NOT contractually bound to any outside business. This allows us to serve our clients with only their interests in mind.
• Years of knowledge and experience in the field of senior care.
• AAA Senior Placement AZ is family owned, allowing us to give you quality, personalized service.
When choosing an airline seat, you should know that you’ll feel less turbulence at the front of the cabin. Exit rows have more legroom, but they tend to be colder as well. Sound carries forward, so if you don’t want to be bothered by the little ones or random chatter, sit toward the back.
If you get a graycolored film on your utensils after they come out of the dishwasher, try cleaning them with a cream of tartar paste. Additionally, clean out the filter regularly.
Use cola to marinate your meat! The acids in the soda pop make meat nice and tender before cooking, and sugar can actually give you a nice caramel flavor on the outside too. You can use a cola bath for meat on the grill or search cookbooks or internet sites for great slow-cooker recipes.
