{"id":13821,"date":"2022-02-21T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/?p=13821"},"modified":"2022-04-08T16:19:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T16:19:17","slug":"be-present-as-a-caregiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/be-present-as-a-caregiver\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does It Mean to be ‘Present’ as a Caregiver?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some people, being present means just showing up. They don\u2019t consider that they can contribute more than just being there physically. For others, being present means being fully there, giving of themselves. Healthline has defined being present as \u201cbeing focused and engaged in the here and now, not distracted or mentally absent.\u201d The best caregiver mirror this definition.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever been caught daydreaming, you know what it\u2019s like not to be present where you are physical. Something as simple as looking out the window on a spring day at the green grass and blossoming flowers can easily take your mind away from the present moment with your client to another, more tranquil, plac<\/strong><\/em>e.<\/p>\n

What Keeps a Caregiver From Being Present?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to get distracted in today\u2019s fast-paced world; many things clamor for our attention. Here are some things that can distract caregivers and cause them to be mentally absent:<\/p>\n

1. The Smartphone<\/h3>\n

Have you ever looked around a restaurant you\u2019re dining at and noticed all of the people, young and old, that are engrossed in their phones? Most of them are on social media telling people they\u2019re at the restaurant or finding out what their connections are doing. At that moment, they\u2019re unaware of what the other people at their table are doing or saying. Smartphones can serve many practical purposes for us, but they can also be the biggest distraction one can face.<\/p>\n

2. Television<\/h3>\n

As a caregiver, you often care for sedentary individuals prone to spending long periods of time in front of the television. That means that you\u2019re also experiencing what\u2019s happening on the screen. Daytime soaps, the news, the weather, and countless channels can easily cause you to lose your focus on the present moment and take you far away mentally. You can be sitting with a client in the U.S. one moment and be experiencing an erupting volcano on the Island of St. Vincent the next.<\/p>\n

3. Your Thoughts<\/h3>\n

\u201cDid I turn off the stove before I left the house this morning?\u201d \u201cI wonder how Bobby\u2019s exam is going.\u201d \u201cWhat time does the concert start tonight?\u201d Questions we silently ask ourselves and racing thoughts can easily take you away from the present moment. One study found that the average person has more than 6,000 thoughts every day. When their clients are resting quietly or sleeping, a caregiver can drift someplace else in their thoughts. We all do it.<\/p>\n

How Can You Stay In The Present Moment With Your Client?<\/h2>\n

Not everyone can stay fully present 100% of the time. Still, professional caregivers can take steps to stay present, and many do, to be physically, mentally, and emotionally there for their clients. Here are a few:<\/p>\n

1. Engage Verbally and Listen Actively<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re with a client 8-24 hours per day, it\u2019s easy to slip into periods of extended silence where the mind can drift away. A caregiver can\u2019t, and shouldn\u2019t, talk non-stop with a client, but they can stay connected and be present by having regular conversations with their client \u2013 whether it be something stimulating like world events or something simple like listening to a story about a special event in their client\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t Worry \u2013 Be Happy<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re worrying too much about tomorrow, you can\u2019t fully appreciate today. Tomorrow will happen no matter how much you do or don\u2019t worry, and worrying won\u2019t do anything but take you away from your client. We have to contemplate and be prepared for the future, but worrying about it won\u2019t help you or your client enjoy the day.<\/p>\n

3. Focus On Your Client<\/h3>\n

Easier said than done, but you can do it. Put away your smartphone or leave it on vibrate so you don\u2019t miss an important call, but stay off social media while you\u2019re with your client. You can also leave the television off more often and have fun engaging with your client by playing a game together or looking at old photographs and listening to their stories.<\/p>\n

Assisting Hands<\/a> can help you be the best caregiver you can be. We\u2019ve been providing the highest quality personal care and support in Littleton for more than 15 years, and we\u2019ve hired and trained many caregivers that have enjoyed long, successful careers with us.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re currently a caregiver or feel the calling to become one, we can help you reach your personal and professional goals. Learn more<\/a> about the exciting career opportunities we have available today. You are made for this.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Healthline has defined being present as \u201cbeing focused and engaged in the here and now, not distracted or mentally absent.\u201d Learn how caregivers can stay present and give seniors the attention they deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":13822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[261],"tags":[81,303,147],"class_list":["post-13821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caregiver","tag-caregivers","tag-caregiving-tips","tag-home-caregiver"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13821"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13821\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14002,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13821\/revisions\/14002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/94\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}