Caregiver Emotions are Challenging Have you seen sandcastles swept out to sea? Houses built on sand have no anchor in the ground to help them stand against waves. They can crumble without that foundation. Adapting to caregiving may feel the same way without possessing the background or skills needed to know what to do. Learning […]
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Handling Challenging Behaviors and Emotions What is the best way to deal with family members when they act out in a way that is not safe or inappropriate for the situation? The following videos series produced by UCLA provides examples of one way you might approach the situation. Thanks to UCLA for allowing me
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What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. The exact causes are unknown but research shows influencing factors to include genetic conditions, as well as, environmental, chemical, and other factors. Wide Spectrum of Abilities and Limitations Individuals with autism look like
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Conduct Disorders As you might guess, “Conduct Disorders” are mental health conditions related to problem behaviors. There are three primary groups. Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders Schizophrenia Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, including attention deficit disorders Two out of the three groups begin in childhood. The third appears in either childhood or adulthood. Group One
Mood Related Disorders As the name suggests, people with Mood-Related Disorders have difficulty with emotions. The most common conditions known are Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Depression describes a broad range of conditions where the individual has negative, heavy feelings of loss and sadness, anxiety, emptiness, low self-esteem, and a bleak outlook. In contrast, Bipolar Disorder
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Eating Disorders Can Be Fatal Though more common among women, eating disorders affect both sexes, often affecting multiple people in the same family. Therefore, research believes there may be a genetic component associated with it. Those who suffer from eating disorders have distorted body images leading to an obsession with weight loss. The methods used
Anxiety Disorders You hear people saying that they have anxiety or that they are nervous. Does that mean they have an anxiety disorder? No way! The type of anxiety people who have anxiety disorders live with every day takes over their lives. It’s disabling. No matter where you go or what you do, there is
Videos Related to Tube Feedings Procedure for Nasogastric Insertion Produced by TulaneSimCenterTulane Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team TrainingPublished on Aug 20, 2018, Simple steps for inserting an NG tube********************************************Jejunostomy Feeding Instruction Produced by HannahRedlich7167Published on Aug 7, 2017, an instructional video illustrating properly using your jejunal (J) tube pump.********************************************Unclogging a Feeding Tube
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Parental Nutrition (TPN) Some medical conditions prevent the body from absorbing nutrition through the GI tract. When that happens, the body cannot function properly without Parental Nutrition (PN) due to the effects of starvation. With starvation, tissues break down, wounds won’t heal, and the internal organs stop working properly. To prevent starvation’s effects, patients receive
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Managing Oral Secretions Many medical conditions produce thick secretions that are difficult for weak individuals to clear out of their lungs. These secretions block the airway passages preventing oxygen from entering the bloodstream. What causes this problem? Suctioning may be the only way to remove these secretions to allow a person to breathe. However,
Tracheostomy Care at Home The normal pathway to receive air into the lungs and expel carbon dioxide is into the mouth or nose, down the throat, and into the lungs. Suppose a blockage occurs anywhere along that path preventing air from reaching the lung. An emergency surgical incision may be performed through the neck and
Breathing Therapy When someone is struggling to breathe, the diagnosis’s name may help the doctor determine the course of treatment, but for the caregiver, all you want to do is help them breathe easier. Therefore, it is often useful to become familiar with both the common and unusual symptoms of a condition and the “home