care Archives - Serendipity Mommy

Crying & Colic: What You Need To Know

November 26, 2020 by Mandy

A baby that won’t stop crying is seriously frustrating and stress-inducing. If your baby has regular episodes of crying and nothing seems to help, she may be suffering from colic. Colic is something that many parents struggle with. It can be tricky to pinpoint colic and treating it is even more challenging. It’s important to stay calm and be patient while your baby goes through what is usually a short phase. In many cases, there is a way to offer your baby relief, whether it’s through different gas relief products or a teething solution. Use your best judgment and check out wellements baby tooth oil reviews to see how to deal with a suspected case of colic.

Colic Timeline

Colic typically occurs in babies that are a few weeks old. Once a baby has reached about four months of age, colic starts to go away. Generally, colic is suspected when there is a significant amount of crying, around three hours or so, each day. Parents may try a variety of products from companies like Wellements to treat and lessen the symptoms of colic.

Signs of Colic

The most noticeable sign of colic is excessive crying in a baby that’s younger than four months old. Babies with colic may also turn red from discomfort, cry with a high-pitched screech, clench their hands and pull up their legs. A colicky baby is also nearly impossible to calm down.

Ideas for Relief

There are different strategies to try if your baby has colic. Parents have found some success with gas drops, burping, a pacifier, car rides, rubbing the baby’s back, a bath and music. Talking to your baby, going for walks with the baby and singing to her may also offer a few minutes of calm. Most of these solutions only work for a short time, so it’s important to try different things to give your baby some relief.

Other Causes of Crying

While colic is often suspected in a young baby’s excessive crying, sometimes it may be something more serious. Your baby’s crying may be due to an illness or some other problem. Be on the lookout for fever, vomiting, loose stools or a baby that isn’t gaining weight. These symptoms may point to a different diagnosis.

Talk to Your Pediatrician

If you’re running out of ways to soothe your baby or if the colic seems to be getting worse, it’s time to call your pediatrician. Sometimes, it may be a simple solution like Wellements constipation relief or switching formulas. Other times, your pediatrician may offer to run some tests to find out if there is a food allergy or something else to blame for the baby’s discomfort.

Take a Break

Hours of crying with a new baby is painful for parents. If your baby seems physically fine and still continues to cry during colic episodes, it’s important for parents to stay calm. One way to deal with the stress of a baby that cries a lot is to take plenty of breaks. Sometimes, it’s best to put the baby in a safe place, like her crib and walk away for a few minutes.

Crying and colic in new babies are hard to solve. In many cases, this is simply a phase that will eventually pass. Try some of these tips to deal with a colicky baby.

WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP SKILLS DURING COVID-19

November 25, 2020 by Mandy

Source

COVID has been a trying time for just about all of us. Not only has it changed society as a whole, but it has uniquely affected each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of us have been negatively affected by the Coronavirus. There is no solution to the virus available. The frontline fighters like doctors and nurses are working tirelessly every day to ensure that we get the healthcare we need.
However, you need to understand that these frontline workers might feel the effects of exhaustion by now. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that healthcare services reach all those who are in need. A sense of demotivation is bound to set in when death and sickness surround them and physically exhausted. If you are in the healthcare sector, it’s essential to adopt or develop leadership skills to motivate the people around you. It’s necessary to support those around you who aren’t feeling 100% right now. Not only for them, but it’s always a good idea to increase your leadership skills as a means of self-improvement.

Here are a few ways to increase your healthcare leadership skills during COVID-19:

BUILD UP YOUR KNOWLEDGE

As a healthcare sector worker, it may be a good idea to broaden your horizons and diversify into the field. Nothing is stopping you from adding responsibilities to your work. It will enrich your portfolio be great for you. Still, something like health administration could be a great skill to increase your leadership qualities as well.
To upgrade yourself in the field of healthcare, you should opt for a master’s degree. To learn more, click here to understand the rest of the needs better. Suppose you are seriously considering branching away from the traditional medical roles and playing a part from behind the scenes. In that case, this could be just what you need. Having both hands-on knowledge about medicine and administrative education can be a game-changer for your leadership qualities.

PRACTICING EMPATHY

Being holistically present with the patients is extremely important when practicing medicine, especially during a pandemic. Being emotionally aware and practicing understanding with the client will make them feel a lot better about their treatment. Half of the fight is maintaining a positive attitude. You can play a significant role in their attitude by merely practicing empathy.
Empathy can be one of the most prominent feathers in your hat when it comes to leadership skills. If you are working well with your clients, others will likely model your actions and behave the same way. Leading through example is one of the best things you can do when looking to influence your people.

COMMUNICATION

Whether you are in a healthcare role or not, communication is one of the most vital leadership roles you can adopt. It is essential to have adequate communication abilities in your career, especially in a healthcare setting where miscommunication can have dire consequences. A misunderstood message can have fatal ramifications in a hospital setting.
Developing proper communication will set you apart from the rest and make others see you as a leader amongst them. You can increase your communicative ability by practicing with your colleagues. Give them clear, direct, and concise messages to establish yourself as a leader.

THE ABILITY TO MAKE A DECISION

One of the most acceptable methods to increase your leadership abilities in a healthcare setting is to make a decision. In hospitals and care facilities, time is of the essence. You can’t take too long to think and wait for another alternative to present itself. It would be best if you had the presence of mind to be able to make a decision and stick by them.
Being able to make and stay with your decisions is one of the best leadership qualities to have. You can increase this quality by assuming more roles on the floor and being given more responsibility.

KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS

Finally, it’s essential to know where to draw the line in terms of your abilities. Nothing is more unattractive than biting off more than you can chew. Knowing and being communicative about what you can and can’t do is one of the most explicit leadership roles you can display.
You can increase this trait by communicating to your superiors and your subordinates about where your limits lie. Taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory might work in the business world, but not in healthcare. People’s lives are at stake, especially during COVID-19. It would be best if you stuck with the safest and most obvious solution to rehabilitate these people back to proper health.

CONCLUSION

Leadership skills are fundamental regardless of what profession you are a part of; it is especially important to practice leadership skills in the medical field. You never know who you might influence. In eras like these, we often look to each other for strength. Understandably, we have never dealt with something like this before, so there is a great deal of uncertainty.
Standing out with your skills as a leader can be the difference between doctors’ and nurses’ motivated and demotivated staff. You may be saving patients’ lives every day, but you never know; you may be saving a colleague’s morale as well.

Top Tips For Taking Care Of Elderly Relatives

April 12, 2018 by Mandy

Old age and illness can be a difficult and incredibly stressful and expensive time for any family. The time may come when your own parents can no longer cope on their own, or you find that they begin to lose their memory or struggle with basic daily tasks. At this point, you may feel that it could be time for you to review their current care regime. The transition from a family member or child to caregiver can be difficult to deal with, and at times it is advisable to accept professional medical health and support rather than trying to go it alone. So, if you are currently in a position when you need to review the care that your elderly relatives receive, then it is important to remain realistic and also put yourself first.

First and foremost you will need to sit down and have a conversation about just how much you can afford to pay for and decide if any changes need to be made in order to finance the care plan that you are interested in. You may need to remortgage your property or consider other outlets to help ensure that your elderly family members can get the professional help that they so need. The other alternative is that you undertake some of the care yourself and invite your relative to live full time in your own home. While you might think that you are prepared to provide around the clock care, if you are trying to manage a full-time job and look after your own family, then you perhaps do not have the amount of time available as you had previously thought. Remain realistic and understand how much care and time is needed to look after your relatives. Be sure that you are taking your own needs and health into consideration also, and do not feel guilty or upset if you feel that you need to take on some additional professional care to help you to manage the load.

Spreading care

When it comes to caring for an elderly relative or close family member, you need to make sure that you remember you are not alone. It can feel incredibly stressful or make you feel very isolated if you are at home administrating care. Ensuring that your loved one is kept comfortable and well can be made easier by spreading and sharing the care. This way, you can also make sure that you have some time for you, and that you can get your entire family involved also. You could ask other family members that live nearby to help you to with simply daily chores, such as food shopping or washing clothes. Consider sending your elderly relative to a daycare center, so that they can enjoy socializing. This could give you a break too. If you are seriously struggling and can afford to do so, then hiring a home care assistant for a few hours each day can give you some support with the more intensive tasks. If you take time to spread and share care, then you will ensure that your relative not only meets and engages with lots of different people, but you can also ensure that you yourself have a much-needed rest from your caring responsibilities.

Get your home ready

If you have decided that you are going to act as the primary caregiver and are ready to welcome your elderly relative into your home, then you need to make sure that you get your own property prepped and prepared in time for their arrival. Be sure to check your property structurally to ensure that there are no draughts or leaks and that all pipework is in full working order. If you have radiators and heating around the house, then make sure that these are set at a comfortable temperature. You should also anticipate that any increased heating bills and changes to your home could result in an increase in home maintenance costs also, so you will need to get prepared to assume and cover these. Make sure that you explain to your elderly relatives that your home is now their home also, to ensure that they feel comfortable and relaxed around the house. Explain that they are not a burden, but rather you want to have them close to you to provide them with the love and attention that they need.

Care homes

If you have done as much as you can, but feel that you can no longer cope with providing care full time from your own home, then now could be the time to consider nursing and professional medical support for your elderly relative. Families Choice Home Care provides information about the various types of support that you feel are right for yourself and your relative. Remember that you may feel guilty and upset about sending your parent or relative into a care home, but you do not need to feel this way. Your elderly relative will receive the around the clock support and care that they need so that they feel loved and cared for at all times. Plus, you will still enjoy visiting times and share precious moments together.

Taking care of elderly relatives can be a difficult and stressful task and responsibility to take on, in particular, if you have your own family to look after. However, make sure that you decide which options work best for you and your relatives. You could decide to provide a level of home care for as long as possible. If this is your preferred option, then make sure that you get your home ready and consider hiring a home help to assist if you are struggling. Be sure to prepare for any additional costs also. Finally, do not feel guilty when choosing the right care home for your relative. Remember that they will be in a safe and secure place, where they are still very much loved during their final years.