We Care About YOU

There are an estimated 50-million volunteer family caregivers in the United States alone.  Most are women.  Most are trying to hold down other jobs and family as they provide care for a sick or an elderly loved one. Problem is, in providing all of that care, we caregivers are not taking care of ourselves, and the medical community is seeing the fallout.  Caregivers are becoming patients.  I know it's hard to think about finding time for yourself with everything else you want and need to do.  Let us show you how you can fit important self-care into your busy life.  

•  79% of caregivers reported needing help with things such as "finding time for myself, managing my emotional and physical stress, and balancing work and family responsibilities." (AARP)59% work and manage caregiving responsibilities at the same time (AARP).
• 40% of women and 26% of men caregivers rate their emotional stress levels at 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale of stress (AARP).

jennifer Cares

What Do You Care About?  Read Jen's new Blog post

What's Your Story?
How can we help you with caregiving? Click here, share your story with us and let us know.

jennifer Cares is ready to come to you!
We are now booking national Take Care Tips talks and book signings! Are you involved with a group who would benefit from a fun, informative, interactive Take Care Tips talk?
Write to us to request an appearance.

A Perfect Gift for Yourself and the Caregvers in Your Life:  Take Care Tips
In Take Care Tips, you get 101 Ten Minute Tips for how to care for yourself while you're taking care of others. Topics and tips focus on Stress Relief, Positive Thinking, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Appearance, Personal Time, The Importance of Sleep, and Organization.  Find out more about Take Care Tips by Jennifer Antkowiak (St. Lynn's Press):  visit Take Care Tips.com

Visit the j shop now to order Take Care Tips for yourself and those you love and receive a beautiful card and Prayer for Caregivers!  The card sends your greetings and announces that the recipient will receive a personalized, autographed copy of the book.  The prayer was written by Bishop David Zubik especially for Take Care Tips.

How are You Sleeping?

Sleep is a critical part of life, but millions of Americans are having trouble falling asleep and staying a sleep.  At least 75% of those who participated in a recent Harvard Women's Health Watch survey said they sleep less than six hours a night, and that they have problems sleep at least a few nights per week. 

When sleep problems become chronic, it's important to get help.  We need sleep so that the systems in our bodies can go through recovery essential for good health.  Did you know that getting enough quality sleep:

• Improves memory:  The brain sorts through and stores information while we sleep.  People who sleep well are better able to recall information and learn new things.
• Helps with weight loss and maintaining weight:  When we deprive ourselves of sleep over long periods of time, we are disrupting our body's natural flow of horomes that control appetite.  Lack of sleep also keeps our bodies from doing their best to process and store the carbohydrates we eat.  This can lead to weight gain.
• Helps with heart health (and to fight off many other diseases):  When we don't sleep well, studies show that we have a greater chance of hypertension, increased stress, and irregular heartbeat.  Not getting enough sleep also affects our immune system.  When we don't allow our bodies to rest, we stop them from doing their natural job to fight off disease, including serious disease.
• Lowers our chances of dangerous accidents:  Sleep deprivation leads to walking around groggy during the day.  When we're not functioning our best, we are more prone to falls, car accidents, and other slip-ups which can cause serious complications.
• Puts us in a better mood:  When we're overtired, we're more irritable, impatient, and even angry.  We're more likely to thing negative thoughts, feel overwhelmed, and to snap at the people we love and care for.

Support for Caregivers through Forbes Hospice

Forbes Hospice is celebrating 30 years of helping patients and caregivers this year.  Forbes Hospice Director Maryanne Fello has been there for nearly all of those years, leading those offering one of the region's most comprehensive programs to help families cope with end of life care.

See some of Jen's interview with Dr. Hebert, Forbes Hospice Medical Director, at our Take Care Tips blog

Forbes Hospice nurses and other medical professionals respond to phone calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer comfort, reassurance and assistance when needed for family caregivers. 

Services include:

• Hospice Home Care
• Palliative Home Care
• Hospice Residence (In-Patient Unit)
• Pain/Symptom/Management
• Respite Care
• Children's Services
• Social and Supportive Services
• Bereavement Follow up Services

Get an online tour of Forbes Hospice Facilities and find out more Click here

Find Your Ten

How are you going take Ten if you can't seem to find any time for yourself? Force it!

Studies show that there are many things you can do to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health in as little as ten minutes.  Caregivers deal with a lot of stress and strain.  They juggle a lot, each and every day.  To continue to have the energy you need to keep up with everything and everyone you want to take care of, grab a Sharpie and your day planner, and block out as many ten minute chunks of time as you can for the week ahead.

Sometimes just taking ten minutes to go through your schedule is all you need to realize that there are a few ten minute blocks of time that you can find for yourself on any given day.

• Ten minutes is enough time to make sure you drink water to keep your body and brain hydrated.
• Ten minutes is enough time to take a walk that will strengthen your heart and lungs and help to clear your mind.
• Ten minutes is enough time to take a few deep breaths to refocus and re-energize yourself for whatever's next in your day.