by Julie Theado | Sep 29, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE President and CEO
Can physical activity help reduce stress? The simple answer is yes, according to an article from Harvard Medical School, “Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.” Your body, metabolism, heart, and spirits will all experience extraordinary changes as a result of regular exercise. It has a unique ability to energize, stimulate and calm, to combat depression and reduce stress.
Not only does physical activity help reduce stress, but it also helps prevent the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancer, osteoporosis and fractures, obesity, depression, and even dementia. Physical activity also helps slow the aging process, increases energy, and is said to prolong life, states an article from Harvard Health Publishing.
Below is a list of physical activities to help reduce stress:
- Yoga
- Playing sports such as tennis, golf, pickleball, etc.
- Swimming
- Walking
- Weightlifting
- Hiking
- Water aerobics
- Stretching
- Pilates
- Running
- Cycling
- Dance
As a caregiver finding time for exercise can be difficult, but it’s critically important for your health. Try to find time to do some physical activity every day. Maybe that’s doing yoga at home in your living or taking a walk in one of the Lancaster City Parks. If you think a local fitness class would provide the accountability and connection you need, here’s a list to get you started.
We hope we’ve provided some valuable information along with some physical activities you can use to relax and reduce stress. Be sure to look for our next article in the series, which will focus on finding time for yourself during respite care.
by Julie Theado | Aug 31, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE President and CEO
At this point in our article series, it is abundantly clear that caregiving is stressful. And, if you have been a caregiver, you know that is true. As a caregiver, you also likely have people encouraging you to take care of yourself and relax. As well-intentioned as they are, the thought of finding time and ways to relax can simply add to the stress of a busy caregiver. We are here to provide you with some ideas to help you incorporate relaxation in your schedule.
Working these relaxing techniques into your schedule does not have to be a huge time commitment. Sometimes it is as simple as pausing to take a few deep breaths. The following are eight simple relaxation techniques you can try this week.
- Music – Music is easily accessible, whether you take five minutes and listen to your favorite songs or choose meditation or calming music. YouTube is a good resource for different categories of music and guided meditation. Researchers at Stanford University found that “listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication.” They note that music is something that almost anybody can access which makes it an easy stress-reduction tool.
- Positive Visualization – Creating a clear mental picture can give you the confidence, motivation and courage you need to make the most of your day – even the difficult ones. Positive visualization can include affirmations, vision boards, being in your happy place, drawing your goals, meditation, success mapping, etc. Click here to read more information about positive visualization.
- Breathing Exercises – Yes, just breathing can help you manage stress. Slowing your breathing helps you calm down. The next time you feel the stress bubbling up, take a couple of minutes to do some breathing exercises. WebMD has a few different breathing exercises that are easy to follow. Click here for more directions.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) – PMR exercises help reduce stress and anxiety by having you slowly tense and then relax each muscle. To see how this can work, watch this video: https://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/counseling/anxietytoolbox/pmr.html
- Reading – Grab your favorite book and read for 30 minutes. Reading can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. Click here to read more from National Alliance on Mental Health.
- Journaling – Writing in a diary or journaling helps you express thoughts and emotions, which can reduce your stress and anxiety. For more information from Purdue University, click here.
- Create Mindfulness Moments (CMM) – CMM is a type of meditation in which you focus on being deeply aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment this helps relax the body and mind and reduces stress. For more information from The Mayo Clinic, click here.
- Prayer – Prayer can create a relaxation response which lowers blood pressure and other factors heightened by stress. According to a study at the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota, prayer can also release control to something greater than oneself, which can reduce the stress of needing to be in charge. Click here for more information.
We hope you’ve found a couple of ideas you can use to relax and reduce stress. Be sure to look for our next article in the series, which will focus on the use of physical activity.
by Julie Theado | Jul 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE President and CEO![](https://i0.wp.com/fairhopehospice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kristin_Glasure-professional-headshot-2019.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1)
According to the Mayo Clinic, about one in three adults in the United States provides care to another adult as an informal caregiver. A caregiver is defined as anybody who provides direct care to a person’s needs, such as an ill spouse or partner, a disabled child, or an aging relative. Regardless if you are a professional caregiver or not, it’s important to seek help and support. This might be through virtual or in-person support groups, or for many caregivers it’s simply confiding in family, friends, faith family, or neighbors.
There are eight methods commonly used to reduce and prevent caregiver stress, and this month we are sharing some tips for how to get help and support. In my career, I have spoken to many caregivers who all share common challenges. One of the most common frustrations they share is a lack of knowledge about what resources are available to them and how to find them. Caregivers are simply too busy surviving the day to have the energy and skill it takes to do the research.
Following are a few trusted online resources that can help simplify the process:
Caring Bridge – This website makes it simple and safe to offer or ask for support when it’s needed most. Caring Bridge offers a private and ad-free platform that allows caregivers to share health updates and friends and family to rally around loved ones. The site even offers a meal train for people to sign up and bring meals.
For more information, call 651-789-2300 or visit https://www.caringbridge.org/
Shipt – This website is used to order groceries, everyday essentials and so much more from your favorite stores. Items are delivered on the same day by friendly shoppers who care about getting things just right. There are a number of different companies that provide similar services, based on your location.
For more information, call (205) 502-2500 or visit https://www.shipt.com/
Lotsa Helping Hands – An online caring community that helps restore health and balance to caregivers’ lives, Lotsa Helping Hands brings together caregivers and volunteers to organize daily life during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion.
For more information, visit https://lotsahelpinghands.com/
We have worked with these trusted organizations and are available to answer any questions you may have as you navigate the unknown territory of caregiving. Be sure to look for our next article in the series, which will focus on relaxation techniques.
by Julie Theado | Jul 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
LANCASTER, Ohio (July 27, 2023) — FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc. will hold its fifteenth annual Virginia Leigh Pickering Ice Cream Social on Friday, August 4. Each year FAIRHOPE hosts an ice cream social upon the anniversary of the passing of benefactor Virginia Leigh Pickering.
The Ice Cream Social will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at FAIRHOPE Pickering House, 282 Sells Rd. in Lancaster.
“We honor the wishes of Virginia Leigh Pickering each year by hosting an ice cream social to celebrate life,” said Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE President/CEO. “We love being able to pay tribute to such a beautiful person. She was an inspiration to everyone she met.”
To learn more about FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care, visit www.fairhopehospice.org, or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FairhopeHospice
FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Since 1982, FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care has provided exceptional and compassionate care in our community. We are dedicated to meeting the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of those we serve by honoring life during its most difficult times. We will meet you on your journey wherever you need us. This includes serving you at our serene 38-acre campus in Lancaster, home to the Pickering House hospice in-patient facility and the Anita M. Turner grief center. We invite you to learn more about us by visiting our website at www.fairhopehospice.org.
by Julie Theado | Jun 29, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE President and CEO
Being a caregiver and dealing with stress seem to go together. However, it’s important to recognize and find ways to reduce or prevent stress as much as you can. A recent study titled Physical and Mental Health Effects of Family Caregiving by Richard Schulz, Ph.D. and Paula R. Sherwood, Ph.D., RN, CNRN found that “Caregiving often results in chronic stress, which impacts caregiver’s physical and psychological health.” This is important to keep in mind as we consider caregivers’ well-being and level of service.
There are eight methods used to reduce and prevent caregiver stress, and we will discuss one each month to thoroughly cover this critical topic. In my career, I have spoken to many caregivers who all share common challenges. One of the primary issues is knowing what resources are available to them and how to find them. Caregivers are simply too busy surviving the day to have the energy and skill it takes to do the research.
Following are a few trusted resources that can help simplify the process:
Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) – The organization informs and supports people as they navigate the experience of aging or a disability. COAAA covers Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union counties. They are partnering with Trualta, a free online platform that provides caregivers with new information and skills needed to manage care for a loved one at home. Trualta delivers quick videos, articles, tip sheets and professional-level training tailored to meet the caregiver’s learning style. They offer this resource at no cost to central Ohio caregivers who live in COAAA’s eight-county area.
For more information, call 1-800-589-7277 or visit www.coaaa.org.
Ohio’s Area Agencies on Aging – Each agency serves a unique region of the state. They provide support to older adults living in their homes or other settings of their choice.
For more information, visit www.ohioaging.org.
Buckeye Hills Regional Council – Helps communities solve problems by identifying urgent needs and securing financial resources to improve infrastructure and overall quality of life for residents. The organization has several resource guides on their website specific to each county they serve which includes: Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Noble, Perry and Washington counties.
For more information on Buckeye Hills, call 1-800-331-2644 or visit www.buckeyehills.org.
We have worked with these trusted organizations and are available to answer any questions you may have as you navigate the uncharted territory of caregiving. Our next article will focus on where you can find help and support.
by Julie Theado | Apr 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Kristin Glasure, FAIRHOPE president and CEO
National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is observed each year in April as a nationwide initiative to educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. Founded in 2008 by Virginia-based healthcare lawyer Nathan Kottkamp and now run by The Conversation Project (TCP), NHDD is a day dedicated to encouraging individuals to express the care they wish to receive from healthcare providers and facilities and ensure those wishes are carried out. It seeks to bring together the larger healthcare, legal, and religious communities to benefit patients, families, providers and facilities.
A medical crisis can occur at any time, making advance care planning important for people of any age and health status. Making important health decisions and documenting that information in writing offers peace of mind to families in the case of medical emergency or serious illness. It enables caregivers to serve as an advocate when someone is unable to do so for themselves while resulting in less burden, guilt and depression. It can even help make the grieving process less difficult on loved ones. Addressing decisions ahead of time can help prevent loved ones or healthcare professionals from having to guess at the healthcare decisions individuals want made on their behalf.
We recently spoke with Jennifer Sitterley of Sitterley Law about the importance of planning ahead and making your wishes known to your family. Sitterley Law is a valuable resource for our community. To find out more information, you can visit their website at sitterleylaw.com or call 740-681-1765. We will be joining Sitterley Law with their PLAN VAN on July 7. You can reserve your appointment by calling their office or emailing reception@SitterleyLaw.com.
If you’re looking for immediate resources, our healthcare directives document is the ideal place to start in this process and it’s completely free.
When conducting advance care planning, the process should focus on talking about your values, preferences and beliefs and sharing decisions with family members and loved ones to ensure they are clear about your wishes. Research suggests that having conversations about future medical treatment and having a plan in place make it more likely for patients to receive the care they desire.
Formalizing end-of-life or critical care wishes can be done with an advance directive. It includes two types of legal documents: a living will and a durable power of attorney. A living will outlines your healthcare choices when you’re not able to speak for yourself. Durable power of attorney is a legal document that gives an agent the power to carry out your medical wishes. Both a living will and power of attorney go into effect if you cannot speak for yourself. The person you choose as your agent is typically someone who knows you well enough to understand and respect your choices and can talk with your loved ones about your care and desired decisions.
Clear and concise materials to help guide the process of making and documenting healthcare decisions are available for free. Advance Care Planning tools and resources available on TCP’s website include the “Conversation Starter Guide,” the “What Matters to Me Workbook” and the “Guide to Being a Health Care Proxy.”
Once advance directives are completed, make copies and store the documents in a safe place. Provide copies to your health care proxy, health care providers and attorney. Some states have registries that can store your advance directive for quick access by providers and your proxy.
In situations where there is not an advance directive and someone is unable to make their own decisions, state law determines who may make medical decisions. This is often a spouse, parents if they are available, or children if they are adults. Someone who is unmarried and has not named a partner as their proxy could be excluded from decision-making. Documenting preferences can help avoid having to navigate unanticipated issues.
The observation of National Healthcare Decisions Day is an ideal opportunity to ensure adequate plans are in place for your healthcare decisions. It is also a time to educate and encourage other people on the importance of making healthcare decisions in advance.
Whatever someone’s wishes may be, it is a gift to our loved ones to honor those choices to the greatest extent possible.![](https://i0.wp.com/fairhopehospice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/canstockphoto2380580-min.jpg?resize=1%2C1&ssl=1)
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