Thrive with Parkinson’s: with Geriatrician Mehrdad Ayati, MD & the Parkinson’s Foundation
Saturday, April 6th 11am-1pm at Little House Activity Center. Click HERE & RSVP Today!
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Thrive with Parkinson’s: with Geriatrician Mehrdad Ayati, MD & the Parkinson’s Foundation
Saturday, April 6th 11am-1pm at Little House Activity Center. Click HERE & RSVP Today!
Open Mobile Menu

The Guide to Caregiver Well-Being and Mental Health

Oftentimes, the stresses of caring for another person make you neglect your own health and well-being, which can negatively affect your relationship with other family members, and reduce the quality of care you’re giving your loved one. To support caregiver well-being and mental health The Kensington worked with Dr. James Rouse, a leading expert on health, wellness, and improving performance to share his six-part series for caregivers.

Through this series we want to help our community focus on the importance of caregiver well-being and mental health for the care provider, especially in preventing caregiver burnout and offering healing words and tips on how caregivers can cope with the stresses of caring for their loved ones.

How Critical Caregiver Mental Health and Well-Being is for Providing Care

Caregivers, most often female family members, often face years of hardship when it comes to providing care to their aging loved ones, especially those who are experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s. You can almost think of it as an emotional marathon that at times will require all your patience and will.

You may end up feeling emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted. Depression and anxiety are frequently associated with caregiver burnout.

For the sake of you, your family, and your loved one, you owe it to yourself to take care of your mental health and to make it your first priority.

That’s why we brought in Dr. James Rouse, a doctor, clinician, and performance coach to offer his tips in a weekly series to help caregivers.

How to Cultivate SoulFULLness and Boost Caregiver Well-Being

We’ve provided highlights from the series, where Dr. James shares the importance of self-care, as well as coping mechanisms and inspiration to give you strength and reassurance when you need it.

You can also watch the event recordings on Kensington Konnect, under Wellness.

Self Care is Not Self-Indulgent, Your Needs Come First

To care for another person, you must first care for yourself. It is not selfish to make your needs your first priority. In fact, you can provide better care for your loved one if you are healthier and of a sounder mind. This lesson will help you feel less guilty about taking care of yourself first.

Allow yourself to be a loving priority on your “to do” list. Move from “to do” to ”to you!” 

Set the intention to begin each day with an act(ion) of self-love and care, focusing on Kaizen, the Japanese word for continuous, never-ending self-love and improvement.

Watch the recording: A Caregiver Guide to Cultivating SoulFULLness with Dr. James Rouse

Five Empowering Practices To Apply Daily for a Healthy Mind/Brain  

Follow Dr. James recommendations for five empowering practices to improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health. These actionable ideas focus on diet, meditation, movement, prayer, purpose, and spirituality to support your brilliant mind and beautiful brain intentions.

“We gather around the kitchen table to talk about food for thought — diet, movement, meditation/prayer, purpose and spirituality, and how powerful they can be to help us create a life we love,” says Dr. James.

Through this you can develop simple rituals that can be easily integrated into your daily lives, for your entire life.

Watch the recording: Cultivating SoulFULLness with Dr. James Rouse – Week 2

Energy for the Exhausted – How You Can Make, Circulate, and Radiate Good Energy

There’s no doubt that as a caregiver, you will experience exhaustion. As a qualified performance coach, Dr. James offers encouraging words to help break through exhaustion and offer strength to pull from when you need it.

Discover the secrets and the science behind building a satisfying path that will circulate inspiring energy. In finding your own strength and momentum, you can back out of burnout and become the person you’ll love to be for a life you want to live. 

Watch the recording: Cultivating SoulFULLness with Dr. James Rouse – Week 3

Mindfulness, Meaning, and Peace at the Speed of Life – How You Can Decrease Stress and Increase Longevity

Find ways to decrease stress that can ease your burdens of being a caregiver. From doing yoga, reading, or baking, find your stress-busting activities and methods to help improve your longevity.

Through this you will create a space of grace for yourself even in the middle of chaos, which will help you avoid losing your way on the path to ever-expanding purpose.

Watch the recording: Cultivating SoulFULLness with Dr. James Rouse – Week 4

Change the Trajectory of Your Life through Gene Expression

Dr. James talks about the importance of mental programming and positive thinking to help you transform your mind and body through a process known as gene expression.

Clean your “dirty genes” and transform your mind, body, and emotions. This awareness of your current patterns and how your past influences you will help you change the trajectory of your path, no matter your history. Through these efforts you can build a new destiny.

Experience A Day in the Life of the Best Version of You – Everyday 

Take hold of the power of your imagination to think about what a perfect day in the life could look like —a day in which you are the best version of yourself.

This will help you form an inspired vision of who you are and who you can become. 

By imagining this ideal day, you will express the version of yourself that you will love for the rest of your life, putting together the whole soulFULL journey together.

Kensington Place – A Liaison in Caregiver Support

Kensington Place offers a beautiful, assisted living community that can ease the transition to senior living and caters to your loved one’s various needs and conditions. At Kensington Place, it’s Our Promise to appreciate and honor every resident as if they’re our family.

In addition to our senior living community, we’re also an online resource for helping caregivers find virtual support groups, helpful events, and publishing caregiver advice blogs.

Please contact us today to learn more about our memory care, Alzheimer’s, and dementia care.

 

 

Additional Recommended Reading:

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