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Caring for the Caregiver
As this summer winds down, my thoughts
continually turn to someone I miss dearly. Last summer, my beloved Heart Mom died.
Joyce wasn’t my birth Mother, she was someone who took me under her wing and
was my role model from the time I was 12. She was the primary caregiver for
several years after husband Bill was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Not wanting others to know that he had it,
or how much home life was deteriorating, she bore the great burden of his
care. She avoided any discussion about his condition, often making excuses
for it. Family members begged her to get help. I distinctly remember a
phone call with her when I told her that I feared that the stress would take
her before it ever did him. A year before her death, she finally got some
help when he turned violent and the situation couldn’t be ignored. Bill was
placed in a facility specializing in Alzheimer’s. I’m afraid it was too,
too late. Her heart gave out not long after.
Do you know a caregiver? My guess is that
most of you do, or have known someone in this position. You know them by the
circles under their eyes, and the sense of isolation and foreboding floating
around them as the cloak of hopelessness covers their broad shoulders. It’s
common for them to deny, as Joyce did, that things are tough and sometimes
overwhelming.
Chances are, all of us in our lifetimes
will experience either being the caregiver or being the cared for, even if
for a short while. Don’t put off having “the” family discussion so that the
responsibility of care giving doesn’t fall on one family member. Also—
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Build your support network—someone to
“care for the caregiver”
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Have a confidant that you can talk to
about the stress of care giving.
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Create a care-giving plan so you can
better manage your time, the paid Caregiver’s time and the needs and
desires of the individual who needs the care.
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Do some exploring—if you work for pay,
are there other career options that are less stressful?
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Could you start a small business or do
your work out of your home?
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Few like to dive in a deal with the “what
ifs” . . . but let’s look in the mirror, your “what if” could be here
tomorrow. Remember to take care of you.
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Changes at The Briles Group, Inc! |
I’m pleased to announce that Angie Pacheco has
joined me as my Marketing and Sales Director beginning September
19th. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Angie on other projects
for the past 7 years. She will be in the office from
7.30 AM to 4.00 PM
Mountain time Monday through Friday. Her email is
Angie@Briles.com and phone 800-594-0800. We both look forward
to bringing terrific programs to your facilities and community.
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ATTN: All Health Care Professionals!
The Judith Briles Health Care Management -Leadership Forum is getting great
reviews!
We had our first Forum last March and received rave reviews—an intensive
two-days that created a variety of new tools, skills and techniques for
Forum participants.
Participation in the Forum is
limited to 16 per 2-day session. Beginning at 8:30 in the morning, it ends
at 5:30 each day. Tuition
includes all Forum supplies and day meals.
Each Forum has added new elements and
item—it’s the perfect platform for new managers.
What is the Forum?
The Judith Briles
Health Care Management-Leadership Forum
is designed exclusively for the frontline manager of five years or less
experience in the health care workplace. Too often, people are promoted with
minimal, if any, training in "How to be a Manager." Even less is offered in
"How to be a Leader." They are not the same! The Forum delivers an intensive
lab/training that focuses on developing the soft people skills that just
don't come naturally. Most people don’t leave their workplace for another
position because of more money . . . they leave because of abusive
managers. Is your organization breeding them?
Participants will learn: Effective Use of Influence and Power; Effective
Leadership; Managing Staff Expectations; Managing Multi-Generational Staff;
Managing Diversity; Identifying and Eliminating Red Ink Behavior;
Identifying and Dealing with Marginal Employees; Team-Building;
Prioritizing; Motivation; Building Staff Loyalty; Documenting and
Carefronting® Problem Employees; Managing Conflict; Effective Communicating;
Proactive Listening; Peer Mentoring; Peer Networking; eMentoring; eCoaching;
Transitioning to Management and much more.
Based on the phenomenal research detailed in my book, Zapping Conflict
in the Health Care Workplace, as well as several of my other books,
the Forum delivers results that can be implemented immediately upon the
attendee's return to the workplace! And the coaching doesn't stop when the
session is over -- participation in the Forum includes continued access to
Judith's coaching and mentoring skills through a special website, email, and
phone number. Ever wish you could remember what the trainer said to do in a
certain situation? Now you can -- Judith will continue to be there even
after you've returned to your workplace!
More Info . . .
All sessions are held in Judith’s
offices in Aurora CO. When weather permits, they are outside, surrounded by
beautiful gardens, ponds and charming fountains. Dress is casual and
comfortable and food excellent. All it needs is you. Future dates include:
2003
- August 21-22
- November 6-7
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2004
- January 22-23
- March 18-19
- May 27-28
- July 22-23
- September 23-24
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For those of you who would like to
take advantage of this program by traveling to our corporate office in the
Metro Denver area, we have made special arrangements with the Radisson Hotel
Denver Southeast to provide not only lodging and complimentary breakfast in
a full-service hotel with views of Cherry Creek Lake, but also
transportation to/from Denver International Airport, and to/from The Forum
site - all for $89 per night!
To take advantage of this exclusive
program and special rates when more than three individuals attend from one
organization, call Angie Pacheco at
303-627-9179 or 800-594-0800 now! The November session is
slated for the 6th and 7th—there are five spots open as I write this.
More info at
http://www.judithbriles.com/forum/index.html
News to Share . . .
FindCE.com is a new site acting as a continuing education portal that
should be good news to many of our clients. It caters to three entities:
Health professionals, meeting planners and speakers, all of whom register
themselves with the site. Professionals benefit by having free access to
exhaustive information about meetings and speakers, including report cards.
Meeting planners benefit by marketing their events to professionals and
having more than 1,000 registered speakers to search through when planning
their next event. Speakers market themselves to meeting planners without
paying a commission to a bureau. In addition, home-study courses, online CE
sites, audiovisual materials and other CE outlets are displayed. Check it
out.
Etc.,
Etc., Etc.
If you are a health care professional, than this is the book for you . . .
Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace is available—all 420 pages
of it! A bestseller with the
Nurse’s Book Club this year, it’s the must have for any health care
professional. If you work in healthcare or know someone working in health
care, this is the perfect book for dealing with conflict and change that is
woven throughout the industry. Over 3000 women and men responded to our
Conflict and Workplace Abuse surveys-lots of surprises!
Available at Amazon.com, Borders.com and Barnes
& Noble.com or by calling the Tattered Cover at
800-833-9327.
Price is $35. A sample free chapter is posted on our site at
http://www.briles.com/products_toc.htm
Speaking
of Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace… The Reviews Are In!
Here's what's being said about "Zapping Conflict in the Health Care
Workplace" by Dr. Judith Briles:
From the Midwest
Book Review:
Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace by author, consultant,
research, spokesperson and international speaker Judith Briles is an
exhaustively researched, accessibly written, informationally practical guide
for workers and employers on a spectrum of health care issues focused upon
the importance of preserving a well-regulated workplace when people's lives
are at stake every day. Individual chapters instructionally address positive
means for handling conflict between employees, the straight scoop on
workplace sabotage and how to deal with it, advice on generational
differences, and much, much more. Highly
recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in health
care workplace issues, policies, and concerns, as well as offering
specifically useable advice for workplaces beyond the field of health care,
Zapping Conflict In The Health Care Workplace is a welcome and invaluable
addition to personal, professional, corporate, and community library Health
& Medicine reference collections.
From The Director
(NADONA/LTC):
This outstanding publication is a MUST for
every nurse working in long term care, including the director of nursing!
By the year 2005, an estimated 11.5 million women and men in the United
States will work in the health care industry. Shortages exist in nursing and
dental hygienists and assistance. Conflict and sabotage in the "caring"
environment of health care is increasing. Instead of actively finding ways
and methods to resolve conflict, managers and staff totally disagree on WHY
conflict is increasing and on HOW to reduce it. Therefore, they avoid it.
Dr. Briles shows why women must eradicate traditional and harmful learned
behaviors, why organizations must rebuild their educational offerings to
include both clinical and professional development offerings and managers
and staff must learn constructive and effective ways to deal with conflict
and sabotage when it surfaces.
Speaking . . .
Call Angie Pacheco in our offices
to check on availability and fees for your group. We are booking our 2004
calendar now.
Consulting . . .
After constant requests, I've allocated a few hours each day for consulting.
By the hour or the project, you can schedule an intensive brainstorming
session with me. each year, we commit to up to three health care systems to
do a combination of on and off-site training, coaching and mentoring. To
check available times or if you group qualifies, either call at 800-594-0800
or email me at
DrJBriles@aol.com
Movie
Reviews . . .
If you like the movies, make sure you sign up for JB's Movie Spots-they're
quick, snappy and let you know if a Gramma would be comfortable. Rating
scale is the Golden Egg-one's a dud, five, drop everything and get ye to the
theater!
You may reproduce this article with the following printed on it:
© 2003 The Briles
Group, Inc.
All worldwide rights reserved.
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