Twelve Steps to Reduce Caregiver Stress

1.  Seek Professional help if the stress seems overwhelming.

2.  Take advantage of professional respite care and resources
     available.  Call us for assistance finding those resources.

3.  Ask family and friends to relieve you of some of your time-
    consuming tasks to avoid burnout and your own ill health.

4.  Find out about your elders medical conditions so that you
     know what to expect.  There are many websites listed by
     completing a Google search on the Internet.
     http://www.google.com

5.  Eat nutritious meals and exercise everyday.

6.  Look for ways to save time and energy with mundane
     tasks -- consider direct deposit, catalogue and on line
     purchases and automatic bill payments.

7.  Accept limitations --   your own and your care receiver’s.

8.  Shed small annoyances and dwell on the positives in
     your life.

9.  Search for opportunities to laugh.

10. Use relaxation techniques like visualization, meditation
     and listening to music; get to know a message therapist.

11. Discover a new hobby or re-establish an old one. Learn
      to use the Internet or a digital camera.

12.   Join a support Group.