The Heart of a Caregiver.

The Healthy Living magazine from Sam's Club had an article on 'Heart health and the caregiver'. Caring for anyone, be it a child, spouse, or elderly parents, lets people's heart grow with the time involved, challenges, and responsibility. Not only does their heart grow in love with this caregiving but it also may grow in its experience with emotional and physical stress. So caregivers need to take care of their own hearts.

In this article. according to "The Family Caregivers Alliance", caregivers are more at risk for developing of cardiovascular syndromes such as high blood pressure or heart disease and women who care for spouses are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes and high levels of cholesterol. I looked around their site to find some of this information, I could not BUT there is a lot of information here - so it probably is there but just takes awhile to see it. What this site does mention is that caregivers tend to have more clinical depression than others. Plus they take more prescription medication, like for anxiety & depression, than their peers.

You, as a caregiver, need to make sure you are in the best physical shape you can be in. I know I felt stress between taking care of Will and wanting to have time with my other guys and making sure mom was OK and had what she needed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has a variety of topics for women to help them stay healthy. The Sam's Club magazine highlights some of their advice for the folks you take care of:

* Be informed -- learn about your family member's condition and needs. Talk to their doctors/healthcare providers. Check your local housing and health services. That way you can make good decisions.
* Get support -- the Red Cross, local hospitals, or non-profits may have support groups or have classes to stay to be informed.
* Be an advocate -- learn your legal rights. Check the Americans with Disabilities Act & the Family Medical Leave Act. Keep a documented history of medical issues so other family members and any other caregivers know your loved one's needs.
* Be empowering -- celebrate your loved one's accomplishments and milestones. Focus on positive things.

MOST OF ALL:

* Take care of yourself -- be reasonable with your own expectations. Set time for yourself and take breaks. (picture from Caregiver Alliance)