What Is a Clinical Pharmacist and What Do They Do?

Written by: Patti Chenis, WEC Team SupervisorContemplative Practices/ meditation/mindfulness are beneficial ways to strengthen our wellbeing, resilience, and develop a fuller capacity to recognize the healing power in ones heart to work with stress and difficult challenges.Mindfulness is knowing what you are doing as you are doing it. It is bringing awareness to your present moment lived experience. Bringing our attention to breathing is one of the most widely used objects of meditation and anchor for our attention. Continually coming back to the attention and awareness of our breath brings a sense of precision, (being in the present moment-connecting to our life force of breath) gentleness, (allowing whatever is arising e.g. thoughts, emotions, sensations to be as they are without judgement and returning to our awareness of breath) and openness ( being curious about the richness and fullness of our experience).Mindfulness can be developed as a formal practice on meditation cushion, chair, standing up, lying down or walking meditation. The point of meditation is to remember to bring mindfulness (that conscious awareness of being in our present lived experience) into daily life, so you could say any aspect our lives can be a mindfulness practice.Her are some thoughts about bringing mindfulness, loving kindness, self-compassion and compassion into daily life.Deep Conscious BreathsTaking some deep conscious breaths in the morning or whenever you feel stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or want a fresh restart in you daily life. Before you do something stress- full, step back and take some deep breaths; research shows deep breaths calm the nervous system.MovementWalking (especially getting out and enjoying nature), yoga, tai chi, qigong, dancing to your favorite music, laughter (full belly laughs can do wonders for the spirit-try it), singing your favorite song(s); crying (allow yourself to feel the release that crying can bring e.g. tears of sadness, joy) whatever gets your energy moving and flowing.Self-compassion and compassion practicesDispel the myths that self-compassion is selfish or that we are not worthy of love and wellbeing. Research show that offering words of loving kindness to oneself changes our brain and improves our resilience, strengthens our immune system and increases our capacity to be of benefit to others. When we feel resourced and have a sense of well-being our capacity to work with stress and difficult emotions is greater.Good morning Practice:Good morning (put your name here) I love you. You can repeat this in the morning or anytime during the day to interject some good will toward oneself or someone else in your life if it is difficult to say this about yourself at first.Compassion is not only feeling empathy and emotional connection to the suffering of others but also wanting to relieve that suffering. It is the courage to open our hearts to our own suffering as well as that of others and that we are all interconnected, in the same boat so to speak. We can offer words of care and loving kindness to ourselves, mentors (someone who has been kind to us) friends, strangers, difficult people, as well as to all beings as we open our heart of compassion to include all. May I and all beings have happiness, well-being, safety, health and live at ease and in harmony.

Ensure safety for your loved ones at summer events with home care assistance, preparing them for a fun, safe, and secure day in the sun and weather. As summer begins to wrap up in many parts of the country, now is the time for many families and communities to have their big summer events. From all-day outdoor concerts to sports tournaments to county fairs, there are plenty of fun activities that may keep you and your loved ones out in the sun and heat for hours upon hours.  Safety begins at home with the Home Care Assistance Provider If your loved one wants to attend one of these all-day events, safety begins before she even leaves her home with home care assistance. Preparing for the day can prevent many health or safety concerns that could arise. Taking a bit of time before walking out that door to prepare for the day is a great way to get off on the right foot.  Dress appropriately Dressing for the weather and bringing clothing items in case the weather changes is important to enjoying a long day outside. If a daytime event will go into the evening, make sure your home care assistance provider packs up some clothes for the temperature difference. If rain is in the forecast, having a poncho or umbrella packed, even if the sun is shining when she walks out that door, will prevent getting soaked later.  Pack up Essentials Any summer outdoor activity should have your loved one bringing her own sunscreen, bug spray, lip balm, and water bottle to help her stay protected while outside. Even with her home care assistance provider helping her apply sunscreen before she leaves, she will still need more to reapply later. Dont count on someone else having some to spare.  Bring Someplace to Sit Big events often have plenty of tables and chairs, but sometimes, all of them get taken early on, leaving participants no option but to stand or sit on the ground to enjoy the show, the concert, or the games. Make sure you have a portable chair for your loved one to sit on in case this happens. A blanket can be another option if your loved one is comfortable with sitting on the ground but that can often be difficult for older individuals.  Provide opportunities to Rest Walking around a huge theme park or fairground can get exhausting, no matter how much fun it is. And while the younger ones with you could go on for hours and hours, remember that your elderly loved one may need more frequent rest periods, but are afraid to ask for them and slow down others. Offer plenty of time for rest throughout the day, even considering breaking up your group into two parties where one goes ahead, and one stays back to rest.  Avoid Constant Sun Sitting on a bleacher watching the grandkids play in a softball tournament can also put your loved one in harms way for sunburn, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Plan for breaks in the shade or inside a local building frequently. It may mean missing an inning or two, but it will help your loved one stay safe during a long day outside.  Cut it short if you have to Plan ahead of time if your loved one needs to leave early and go home to rest. Talk to her home care assistance provider about a possible pick up from the venue or being available if she needs to go home early. That way when she leaves, youll know shell be well taken care of.    If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in Broomfield, CO, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services today. Call (720) 789-8529 At Talem Home Care of Broomfield, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Broomfield, Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Commerce City, Denver, Erie, Firestone, Lafayette, Lakewood, Longmont, Louisville, Northglenn, Sherrelwood, Thornton, Welby, Westminster, Wheat Ridge and surrounding areas in Colorado.

Meal planning or meal prepping isnt just a new fadits something thats always existed in one way or another. Now, its becoming extremely popular as more and more people discover its benefits, particularly for seniors at home.For aging adults in particular, meal planning can be the key to unlocking better long-term health, an improved attitude, and saving precious time throughout the day. If you arent already one of the 280 million people watching meal-prepping guides on TikTok, then heres exactly how you can get started:Prepping in AdvanceMeal planning is all about establishing a routine. Help your loved one maintain a healthy diet, allocating one day a week to plan and prepare meals for the next six days to follow. Use this time to cook, cut and pack food in advance so you arent breaking routine or rushing throughout the week. During prep time, also be sure to consider size and space. Invest in storage-friendly, space-saving containers so that you dont make a batch of meals with nowhere to put them. Not only is your day one the key to avoiding cooking time later on, but its also what helps you avoid wasting time guessing what your next meal will be. Identify the Foods That MatterThe key to healthy meal prepping is obviously choosing healthy foods! Help your loved one identify meals that hit the major food groups including fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and whole grainswithout sacrificing on flavor.When meal planning for an aging adult in particular, try to choose foods with little sugar, sodium and saturated fats. Also look for easily digestible options with key vitamins and minerals like cereals with B12. Keep It SimpleYou dont need to be a professional chef to create a healthy meal plan. Choose recipes that are easy to prepare and require fewer, less expensive ingredients. Foods that you can cook in bulk are the backbone of most meal plans. If youre looking for inspiration, dont hesitate to look online and find pre-existing meal plan menus, like this. Variety and FlexibilityEven though you should establish a solid routine and use simpler recipes when meal planning, this isnt meant to be a prison menu! Cook enough options to keep your palate from becoming bored and try to spread out your more diverse meals throughout the week. If you arent particularly interested in the next item on your menu, you can substitute or change things around. Listen to Your BodyWhile the National Institute of Health does have a recommended calorie intake of 2000-2500 calories per day, ultimately, everyones body is different. In week one of planning if you find yourself hungry between meals, incorporate larger portions into week two. Remember though, as you add more calories, youll need to add more nutrient-rich foods as well to keep your diet balanced. Utilize Outside ResourcesMeal planning ultimately saves time and effort, but its still a commitment in itself with its own unique learning curve. Consult friends and family who have had success in the past, watch videos on social media or speak to a dietitian about what they recommend.If you or an aging loved one is struggling to meal prep because of physical limitations, there are also plenty of outside solutions to that as well. SYNERGY HomeCare has a team of professional, around-the-clock caregivers who are more than capable of helping you prepare meals and get them packed up for the week to come. To learn more about SYNERGY HomeCare and its full suite of services, please call 877-432-2692.