{"id":4966,"date":"2015-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/2015\/12\/16\/dear-caregiver-secure-your-own-oxygen-mask-before-assisting-others\/"},"modified":"2025-03-03T09:21:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T16:21:23","slug":"dear-caregiver-secure-your-own-oxygen-mask-before-assisting-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/dear-caregiver-secure-your-own-oxygen-mask-before-assisting-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear caregiver: Secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Lynn St. John looked fondly upon her husband, Randy, as he sat in a motorized wheelchair in their cozy Loveland home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s the mutual love and respect we have for each other that gets us through,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cBut it is difficult, and I can\u2019t imagine if I hadn\u2019t already been trained for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynn cut back her hours as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) to be the sole caregiver for her husband of 14 years, a 67-year-old veteran with stage 4 kidney cancer and peripheral artery disease, as well as for her 93-year-old father, who just passed away this October. Her training helps her handle common caregiving tasks, such as helping with a shower, which can be a source of anger, resentment or embarrassment in other caregiving relationships, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a CNA, I see the different dynamics of [caregiver] situations, and there is a lot to be said about the importance of taking care of yourself as well as your loved one,\u201d Lynn added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI use the analogy of the oxygen masks on an airplane,\u201d said Victoria Jerome, a psychologist with UCHealth\u2019s Mountain Crest Behavioral Health Center in Fort Collins. \u201cYou need to put your mask on first before you can assist others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask for help<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI see caregivers who are overly fatigued, depressed or resentful from providing care,\u201d Jerome said. \u201cThey feel they are the only one who can help \u2014 that no one else can do it \u2014 but in reality, if they would just reach out, there often is that support.\u201d<\/p>\n

And be open-minded about the ways others can help, said Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist Peggy Budai of UCHealth Northern Colorado, who, along with being a nurse, also was a caregiver for her mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone might not be a caregiver type of person, but that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t help in other ways,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ask family members who might feel uncomfortable with the care aspect to help with transportation, cooking meals, cleaning the house or handling yard work, she added. And not just one time, Budai stressed. \u201cIt\u2019s important that caregivers make it clear that this help is needed on a regular basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to help caregivers recognize the importance of asking for help and the importance of balancing work, play and rest,\u201d Jerome said. \u201cPeople tend to feel they don\u2019t have time or can\u2019t afford help. We look at all those roadblocks and figure out ways we can overcome them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find resources, education and training\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lynn
Lynn St. John, Middle, talks with Lynette McGowan, caregiver support coordinator with Larimer County Office on Aging, about caregiving resources at St. John\u2019s Loveland home in late November as part of a National Family Caregivers Month event. Photo by Dick\u2019s Photography, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a six-week class offered several times a year through a community partnership that includes UCHealth\u2019s Aspen Club<\/a>. The class provides helpful strategies for current and future caregivers.<\/p>\n

UCHealth gives links to resources on its Aspen Club web<\/a> page. Another great source for finding resources is through the Larimer County Office on Aging.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaregivers can call our program (Caregiver Support Program at 970.498.7758<\/span>) as a first point of contact to help them get started on creating a plan that lifts some of the stress of caring for someone else. The program can also offer respite assistance to encourage them to get an occasional break,\u201d said Lynette McGowan, caregiver support coordinator with Larimer County Office on Aging. \u201cMany caregivers feel isolated. They don\u2019t know where to start and feel overwhelmed. They don\u2019t have to do this alone. What they do is important and they deserve to be supported by their community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Improving to better serve the caregiver<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Family caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system, and are truly our \u2018first-responders\u2019 and need to be viewed as an integral part of the health care team,” McGowan said.<\/p>\n

UCHealth\u2019s hospitals in northern Colorado and metro Denver are NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders<\/a>) designated sites. NICHE sites implement a variety of best practices to address the special needs of older adult patients and their families.<\/p>\n

Patient\u2019s Passport as a resource<\/strong><\/p>\n

One initiative is the Patient\u2019s Passport, Budai said.<\/p>\n

The Patient\u2019s Passport program gives caregivers a plastic pouch containing a booklet in which the caregiver enters important health care information about the person they are caring for. Daily routines and communication preferences \u00a0\u2014 essential information the caregiver has noted while caring for the person \u2014 is all in one place so health care providers and others have that information when helping with care.<\/p>\n

Eligibility for veteran services<\/strong><\/p>\n

Randy’s veteran\u2019s benefits have been a good resource, but Lynn said it wasn\u2019t easy to get them. She had to \u201ckeep at them,\u201d asking several times over for the benefits she thought her husband deserved.<\/p>\n

To really understand eligibility for benefits through the VA system, a good starting point is Larimer County Veterans Service<\/a>, McGowan said.<\/p>\n

Take a break and stay connected<\/strong><\/p>\n

A caregiver should take at least 15 minutes a day to meditate, read a book or take a walk, Budai said.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait
Lynette McGowan, caregiver support coordinator with Larimer County Office on Aging, far left, and Jill Taylor, UCHealth\u2019s Northern Colorado Community Health supervisor, far right, pose for a picture with Lynn and Randy St. John at their Loveland home on Nov. 25. AARP Colorado recognized Lynn with a Portrait of Care, an artist\u2019s painting of her and Randy, as part of the AARP I Heart Caregivers campaign during National Family Caregivers month in November. Photo by Dick\u2019s Photography, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWithout taking breaks \u2014 just like working without breaks \u2014 it is very stressful and can lead to physical or mental debilitation, such as not sleeping, losing weight or neglecting your own personal health,\u201d Jerome said.<\/p>\n

Find a motivating activity and a group of people who share your situation, such as other caregivers; or find that friend who will continue to motivate you to take a break from caregiving, she said.<\/p>\n

Lynn found her motivation with community service.<\/p>\n

\u201cI work and am active on the I Love Loveland committee, so even when I think I\u2019m not in the mood to do something for me, it gets me out of the house,\u201d Lynn said. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy to feel like you\u2019re stuck in the home because your loved one might not be able to go with you. But that time away is important, and I\u2019m lucky that Randy is wonderful and understands that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Budai said she feels caregivers need an outside friend persistently encouraging them to do things outside the home.<\/p>\n

\u201cA caregiver will probably turn down a coffee date over and over because they feel they don\u2019t have time or are guilty for the inconvenience they think it will create,\u201d Budai said. \u201cBut keep asking because when you are in the middle of caregiving, you don\u2019t see how you are isolating yourself. For me, it took a friend pressuring me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had periods where I wasn\u2019t taking care of myself, and I saw the care I provide suffered,\u201d she added. \u201cYou need to reach out to friends and family or even counseling if you need to. There are resources for mental health or spiritual support. It\u2019s not a one size fits all, but do what\u2019s right for you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lynn St. John looked fondly upon her husband, Randy, as he sat in a motorized wheelchair in their cozy Loveland home. \u201cI think it\u2019s the mutual love and respect we have for each other that gets us through,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cBut it is difficult, and I can\u2019t imagine if I hadn\u2019t already been trained for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":2021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[708,1479,710,24,9171,388,1898],"class_list":["post-4966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-adults-65-plus","tag-aspen-club","tag-community-health","tag-northern-colorado","tag-senior-care","tag-stress-management","tag-veterans"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDear caregiver: Secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One in four adults will find themselves caring for an older adult during their lifetime. 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Photo by Dick\u2019s Photography, for UCHealth."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/dear-caregiver-secure-your-own-oxygen-mask-before-assisting-others\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dear caregiver: Secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc","name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth"},"description":"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. 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