Empowerment and Time Management for

Caregivers

Empowering CaregiversHow do I do that?How do we empower others and empower ourselves?

Empowering Others: Giving people or groups the strength and knowledge needed to help them overcome obstacles and teaching them to believe in themselves

Empowering Ourselves: Learning that the only real power we have is over ourselves and that we can choose what to believe about ourselves and not to be prisoners of our own limiting beliefs or of the limiting beliefs of others

Empowering CaregiversWhat do Caregivers need to believe about themselves to

feel more empowered?Caregivers....

- deserve love, respect, and appreciation (even if it’s not expressed to them regularly)

- deserve a life and identity apart from their role as a caregiver

- deserve help and support

- need to value their own needs!

Tell me Something I don’t knowIt’s not news to caregivers that they need to look after

themselves, is it?

BUT it’s so easy for other people to tell caregivers that they need to look after themselves but SO HARD for caregivers to actually figure out how to do that when care giving and the rest of life can be so consuming!

Just How Important are Caregivers?To the person they provide care for – Irreplaceable

To our society:1 in 5 Ontarians is a family/informal caregiver, contributing to

more than 70% of total care giving needs. These caregivers are our invisible health partners. Without informal caregivers, Ontario’s health care system would not be sustainable

The economic value of caregivers is astounding: Caregivers who look after seniors save Canada’s health care system between $24-31 billion annually (that figure doesn’t include those who care for children or adults under 65)

Empowerment: Strength and KnowledgeMany caregivers probably don’t even realize the degree of inner strength

they possess that allows them to manage the multiple demands on their time and energy (even though caregivers probably feel tired and drained at times, they are some of the strongest people in our society)

Unfortunately, many caregivers don’t truly recognize their own needs for support and self-care until they experience their own health crisis and have no choice but to make their own health a priority

Tonight, I hope to equip you with some more knowledge about managing your time and energy so that you can maintain that inner strength and achieve better balance

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” - Maya Angelou

Balance and TimeBalance doesn’t just ‘happen’ it is created by choices and

we have to continuously self-correct in response to what happens in life to maintain balance. Our well-being is based on our ability to restore balance in the face of continual disruption

Time is finite – we can’t create more of it but we can make choices about how we best use the time we have through time management

Time Management StrategiesDisclaimer:

I am not you and I don’t know you’re particular care giving situation

I am not an expert on your life and how you should manage it

I am, however, someone who works with a variety of caregivers and who listens to what works for them (and I’m a busy working mom who works pretty hard at time management in my own life)

I’m not telling you what you should do rather I am sharing some tips that might just be worth a try

10 Tips for Time Management1. Use a Planner or Calendar -

(paper/computer/smartphone) – get a clear picture of your time commitments and make a schedule

2. Make a List and Prioritize

- Getting things down on paper gets them out of your head and can free up some mental energy

- Decide what is urgent, important, can wait

- Start with the most dreaded task on your list (avoiding or worrying about a tasks can use up a lot of emotional energy)

10 Tips for Time Management3. Expect the Unexpected

- create emergency plans and be flexible in your scheduling and planning

4. Organize Yourself and De-Clutter

- Gain time back by spending some time organizing your life and your surroundings

- Keep important documents where they are easy to locate

- Get rid of unnecessary ‘stuff’ (it can be freeing)

10 Tips for Time Management

5. Find Short-Cuts that Make you Feel Better

- Do a quick tidy up and leave a big cleaning for a time when it won’t add too much stress

6. Try Mono-tasking

- It can be less overwhelming to focus on one thing well at a time (cross it off and move on)

10 Tips for Time Management7. Delegate and Ask for Help

- No one can be everything for everyone all of the time (we all need help but we have to ask and asking for specific help often works best)

8. Try Taking a Tech Break

- Technology can be a great asset but can also make you feel you have to be available and reachable 24/7 (remember when?)

10 Tips for Time Management9. Learn How to Say ‘NO’

- Decide what is truly important

- Realize that every time you say ‘YES’ to something you are saying ‘NO’ to something else (so use your ‘Yeses’ wisely)

- Is what you would be giving up by saying ‘YES’ more important that what you have said ‘YES’ to?

- It can take some practice for this to become more comfortable but those two little letters can be your saving grace

10 Tips for Time Management10. Learn that Good Enough is Good Enough

- Everything you do for yourself or others

doesn’t have to be perfect

- Believing things need to be perfect can

prevent you from attempting them and

can cause heightened frustration

- Be realistic with your standards (rarely has

dusty furniture killed anyone)

Activity/Homework

Make a List of all the energy drainers in your life and make a list of all the energizers in your life – are there themes? Are there drainers you can eliminate or minimize? Are there energizers you can make more time for?

Be Your Own Biggest Advocate(Learn about the Resources Out There)

Some ideas:

Caregiver Support Groups Community Care Access Centres Adult day programs or community centre

programs Specialized geriatric assessment services or

special care units at local hospitals Respite care facilities, rehabilitation

services Community outreach health teams Specialized disease societies or foundations Housing assistance

Homemaker services to help with chores, housecleaning, or home repairs

Companionship services, transportation services

Volunteer or church services Home delivered meal services Home health aid services, in-home respite

care Medical equipment supply services Financial/legal assistance Telephone hotlines and support services

Thank YouThank you to Caregivers for what you

do everyday!

You are not invisible!

You are appreciated!

What you do matters!

Handouts to Take Home

1) Affirmations for Caregivers

2) 10 Tips for Time Management