Month: December 2019

Adults Caring for Aging Parents

Join fellow caregivers for a 6 week educational support group! Each week a different topic will be presented followed by a chance to provide each other with encouragement, comfort, and lived experiences.

The following topics will be addressed:

Week 1: Introductions & Understanding Caregiving

Week 2: Creating Teams, Clarifying Roles & Engaging Family Members

Week 3: Financial, Legal & Medical Permissions and Steps Involved

Week 4: Self-Care & Dealing with Difficult Behaviors

Week 5: Quantity & Quality of Life

Week 6: Anticipatory Grief & Death

Reach out to Daniella at marchickdaniella@gmail.com or 503-683-3179 for more information and to sign up.

Two support groups starting in April. Mondays 11 am April 22 – June 3 at Encourpreneuercafe in inner Northeast Portland. Tuesdays April 30 – June 4 at 7pm at Mindtree Holistic Counseling in Southwest Portland. A 6 week commitment is encouraged! $130 in advance or $25 each session.

While caregiving, it is often hard to find time for oneself but it is essential to combat caregiver burnout.

Caregiving involves  hardwork and dedication day in and day out. According to AARP’s National Alliance for Caregiving (2015) family caregivers spend an average of 24.4 hours per week providing care. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spends 41 hours or more per week providing care.

The responsibility of caring for a loved one may make people feel trapped in their role. Caregiving is mentally and physically exhausting and can lead to a variety of challenging feelings and increase physical symptoms of ailments.

Counseling can provide a non-judgmental outlet to express feelings of guilt, sadness, and anxiety.

Learning how to understand and address those feelings is one of the greatest benefits of counseling. Talking with a supportive individual can normalize the frustrations and sadness while being proactive in minimizing the burden and creating a healthy way to handle stress.

Being an overwhelmed caregiver may lead to feelings of isolation and powerlessness,. Understanding and addressing these feelings is one of the best ways to prevent caregiver burnout. Those who receive regular emotional support are better equipped to prevent burnout, handle difficult care decisions and balance their own needs with those of their loved ones.

With the help of Daniella, of Marchick Counseling, together we can tackle the burden of caregiving and the emotions that surround the often thankless task.

Together we can set up healthy patterns and boundaries that may help you care for your loved one for a longer period of time without becoming burnt out. Those who receive regular emotional support are better equipped to prevent burnout, handle difficult care decisions and balance their own needs with those of their loved ones.

Often being socially isolated is correlated with feelings of being alone.

Social Isolation is an objective measure of the number of contacts or social connections. One may actively choose to not interact with others and not have feelings of loneliness. However, most often being socially isolated is correlated with feelings of being alone. According to Helen Beaman, MSW, whom is a part of Oregon’s Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, socially isolated older adults are likely to be sicker and die sooner, have higher health care expenses, and are more likely to need long-term care, than those who retain their social connections. Isolation can lead to pessimism about aging and increasing fears about the future. There are many socio-demographic risk factors that lead to social isolation with age being one of the main components.

Caregivers are also at high risk for social isolation.

As the individual whom they care for loses their ability to socialize, the caretaker also misses out on the opportunity to maintain social connections. It can be challenging to make plans ahead or get out of the house when your loved one is unpredictable with their needs or loses mobility. Sometimes feelings of embarrassment, anxiety or exhaustion from explaining to others diminishes the motivation to connect with loved ones.

Working with a therapist and attending a support group can help a caretaker address these feelings and associated challenges. At Marchick Counseling we can help you get back on the path of connection and develop strategies to guide you to a healthier and happier life. Call 503-683-3179 today to schedule an appointment.  

At different stages in life, one may experience feelings of loneliness and/or isolation.

Though these concepts are often related, they are not one and the same. Loneliness is a feeling of not being as connected with others as desired. Loneliness can occur even while being surrounded by people. Robin Williams said “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up surrounded by people who make you feel all alone.” According to a New York Times article, loneliness is most prevalent during teenage years, then again in the oldest old.

Individual and group therapy is a safe space to explore these feelings of loneliness.

Unfortunately, recent findings are correlating loneliness with earlier deaths, increased stress hormone cortisol, and is often a risk factor for depression. Perceived loneliness contributes to cognitive decline and is a risk for dementia. Often feelings of loneliness leads people to other behaviors such as unhealthy eating, smoking cigarettes, and lack of physical activity. Fixing loneliness is not as simple as surrounding oneself with others, it is important that these interactions provide a sense of meaning. Both individual and group therapy is a safe space to explore these feelings of loneliness.

At Marchick Counseling, together we can acknowledge these feelings are justified and create strategies towards healthy habits in reducing loneliness and creating meaning.  Call 503-683-3179 today to schedule an appointment.