Edition 6 Volume 14
Relocating to Facilitate Caregiving
Seniors Tip: Foods You Should Always Eat Together
Joke or Quote of the Month:Always Give
Heart Healthy Recipe:Lasagna Roll-Ups
Did You Know? Super Fruit–Common Name:Banana, Botanical Name:Musa paradisiacal

Relocating to Facilitate Caregiving

news 2Being a long-distance caregiver for an extended period of time can be stressful and place a heavy burden on all areas of your life. One of your first reactions may be to minimize the distance and move your family member to where you live or uproot your life and move to where they live.

Before you make this decision, consider first whether this move may be more disruptive and stressful for everyone involved than caregiving from a distance.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you prepared to have your family member live with you in your home? What would this arrangement look like? Will your house need to be adapted or renovated to meet their health needs? How can you ensure that everyone has some degree of privacy? How do the other people in your home feel about this change? How compatible are everyone’s different lifestyles, eating schedules, sleeping habits, etc.?

Are you prepared to be your family member’s only social contact once they have moved away from what is familiar to them? What impact could that have on your free time and on your current relationship with them?

What will be the impact of moving your family member away from what is familiar to them – their doctor, friends, church, favourite shops, a community they may have lived in for most of their life?

What is your family member’s health situation and what kind of care will they require? How could the stress of the move affect their health? How much assistance can you realistically provide given your current situation?

If they are coming from out-of-province or out-of-country, when will they qualify for medical services in your province?

What financial arrangements need to be discussed? Who will pay for what?

What has your past relationship been with your family member? How long has it been since you lived together in the same house or even the same town? Are there any unresolved issues between you that are likely to flare up again under the stresses of the new living arrangements or the stresses of a caregiving situation?

If the new living arrangement doesn’t work, what is the back-up plan?

Consider how you will manage the actual move. How long has your family member lived in their current residence and how much time will be involved in packing up the current home?

If you decide to move there, are you ready to give up your job, friends and home and move to a new location where your family member may be your only contact? This situation can become isolating. How will you deal with this change so you don’t become resentful?

An open and honest discussion with your entire family, including the person needing care, is essential before making any decision about relocating. Take time to discuss how each person feels about the move, what their concerns are and what they imagine the outcome will be once the move has occurred. Everyone’s expectations need to be articulated. For some families, this change could work out well. For others, continuing to caregiver from a distance may be the best choice.

Article by Family Caregivers’ Network Society, Reprinted with Permission from Senior Living Magazine, www.seniorlivingmag.com


Heart Healthy Recipe: Lasagna Roll-Ups

Prepare this meal ahead of time and freeze it in individual portions that suit your family’s needs. Freeze it in an oven-proof dish for easy transfer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 8 whole wheat lasagna noodles, not oven ready
  • 1 lb (500 g) extra lean ground beef
  • 1 cup (250 ml) finely diced onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup (250 ml) finely diced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded zucchini
  • 8 spears of asparagus, diced, tough ends removed
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) dry basil or oregano
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper
  • 1 cup (250 ml) low fat ricotta
  • 2 cups (500 ml) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook the noodles as per package directions, but do not add salt to the water. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef over medium heat until no pink is remaining. Drain in a colander and rinse with hot water. Return the beef to the pan. Add the onion, garlic, mushroom, zucchini and asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the spices and the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Remove from heat. 

Assembly

  • Place 1 cup (250 ml) of sauce in the bottom of an oven proof casserole dish. Lay out the 8 cooked lasagna noodles.
  • Spread about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of beef mixture on the whole length of the noodle and roll into a spiral. Place the roll on its side in the casserole dish (so you cannot see the filling). Repeat for the remaining noodles.
  • Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles and top with the shredded cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze, if desired. Baking: If cooking right away: Bake at 350º F (180º C) uncovered for about 30 minutes. If frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Cover with tin foil and bake 350º F (180º C) for 1 hour (45 minutes for smaller portion) or until sauce is bubbly. Broil for 5 minutes to brown the cheese. Divide the rolls into two or three smaller dishes for two or three meals.

Nutritional Information Per Serving(1roll) – Calories: 248, Protein: 22 g, Total fat: 8 g, Saturated fat: 4 g, Dietary cholesterol: 40 mg, Carbohydrate: 24 g, Dietary fibre: 4 g, Sodium: 439 mg, Potassium: 552 mg

Developed by Nadine Day, RD. Reprinted with Permission from ©The Heart and Stroke Foundation.

 

Seniors Tip: Foods You Should Always Eat Together

newsPairing certain foods together enhances the nutritional impact of each, a concept known as food synergy. 

Here are a few pairings from Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietician at the Cleveland Clinic, that can help take your healthy eating to the next level.

Spinach and lemon-Spinach, which contains a substantial amount of iron, is even better for you when you sprinkle it with lemon juice which will help your body absorb the iron more efficiently.

Tomatoes and olive oil-The fat-soluble antioxidants lycopene and carotenoids found in tomatoes pair perfectly with heart-healthy olive oil which helps control cholesterol, blood pressure, and the growth of cancer.

Fish and curry powder-When combined with curry, the heart-healthy omega-3s in fish as well as the fats DHA and EPA have been found to reduce cancer risk.

Mixed berries. Eating fresh blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries together can give you more nutritional bang for your buck.

Article by, www.everydayhealth.com , Reprinted with Permission from Senior Living Magazine, www.seniorlivingmag.com


Did you know? Super Fruit–Common Name:Banana, Botanical Name:Musa paradisiacal

Most of the time, when people think of super fruits or healing plants, bananas aren’t at the top of their list. Yet bananas are powerhouses of protective ingredients, and are especially good for mind and mood. As Hippocrates said so famously, “Let your food be your medicine.” With that in mind, let’s explore the medicinal benefits of bananas.For starters, bananas are rich in natural fibre. Fibre is essential for proper digestive health, and adds bulk to waste for improved elimination. Bananas are a well-known source of potassium, an   essential nutrient that helps to maintain proper fluid balance. Potassium and sodium work hand in hand. Sodium helps the body to retain water, while potassium helps to eliminate excess fluid. Potassium is needed for the proper function of all living cells, and few foods have more of this nutrient than bananas. As much as bananas are protective, they are also a significant mood enhancer. They are excellent sources of the two important brain compounds dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is the primary “reward” chemical in our bodies. 

Source: www.medicinehuntercom, Reprinted with Permission from Living Assistance Services, www.laservices.ca


Joke or Quote of the Month: Always Give

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” 

Ronald Reagan