Roku TV featuring Caregiving TV is Pamela D. Wilson’s latest caregiving media venture. Pamela’s goal is to help aging adults and caregivers through Caregiving TV with an ongoing supply of streaming caregiving videos that are updated monthly.

Caregiving TV, on Roku TV, features caregiving videos that share real-life experiences of being a caregiver and an aging adult. Featured in the videos on Caregiving TV are caregiver skills training and many of the surprising situations that happen when one becomes a caregiver. The videos offer helpful information for aging adults.

10 Things About Caregiving I Wish Someone Told Me

Pamela’s videos, “10 Things About Caregiving I Wish Someone Told Me,” and “Why Power of Attorney is More Than a Piece of Paper,” are popular subjects among viewers.

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Caregiving is an unexpected territory. Few individuals plan to be a caregiver. At the time caregiving becomes a role the responsibilities turn the lives of caregivers topsy-turvy.

Help for caregivers is not well publicized. Many caregivers feel like they have to “get through it” or “tough it out.” This belief of getting through it holds out through early caregiving experiences but can turn faulty when caregiving situations become complicated.

Caregiving Burnout and Stress

Caring for elderly parents or a spouse is often more difficult than expected, especially when care needs grow to include hands-on care.  Caregiving burnout and stress are common feelings related to caregiving. Caregivers shut down mentally and emotionally while still trying to manage all of the tasks that result in caregiving feeling like a daily struggle.

This mental shutting down results in an inability to see caregiving situations with clarity. Caregivers become forgetful and fail at problem-solving. Suggestions to get help fall on deaf ears. Ideas to improve caregiving situations are dismissed as being too much trouble. Caregiving for aging parents can feel overwhelming. 

When Caregivers Fail to Care For Themselves, They Fail to Care for Loved Ones

Overwhelming stress results in caregiving mistakes and poor care for loved ones. When caregivers fail to care for themselves, they fail to care for loved ones.

Little consideration is given to declines in the physical and mental health of the caregivers, which often become worse than the person for who care is provided. Caregivers fail to consider that if something happens to them, a caregiving backup plan is needed to care for a spouse or an aging parent.

It is when caregivers reach a point where self-care continues to be a low priority that failure to care for loved ones happens. The day in and day out up and down roller coaster of events and emotions become too much for the caregiver. Isolation and depression spiral into caregivers feeling angry and resentful of caregiving situations.

I’m So Tired of Being A Caregiver

A common statement heard from caregivers is “I’m so tired of being a caregiver.” This statement is made as a response to a never-ending to-do list of projects. Also, caregivers bear the brunt of refusals of care from aging parents and spouses.

While aging adults want to remain in control of their life and want to remain independent, mistakes in judgment happen. For example, a refusal to use a walker because “only old people use walkers,” may result in a fall and injury that results in removing the option of living at home.

Aging adults find it difficult to face the reality of declining health and impending consequences. Instead, some refuse to consider preventative actions. Disaster happens, and the blame rests on the caregiver for not speaking up.

Being the caregiver in situations of refusal of care and denial by loved ones feels like a losing battle. It’s no wonder exasperated caregivers throw up their hands and say, “I’m so tired of being a caregiver.” Exhausted and frustrated caregivers experience caregiver burnout. 

Caregivers Live in a Pressure Cooker

Denial by aging parents and spouses is common in caregiving situations. Aging parents and spouses feel overwhelmed, close-minded, and become truly or conveniently forgetful.

When both the caregiver and the care receiver are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, and fearful, the situation takes the course of a caregiving train wreck. Attitudes become negative. Positive thoughts about the situation being managed or improving disappear.

Negativity increases the feeling that caregivers live in a pressure cooker and that situations are impossible. Worry and feelings of anxiety are pervasive and cannot be eliminated from the mind of the caregiver or the care receiver.

The pressure that caregivers feel increases through attempts at multi-tasking that result in getting nothing accomplished. Feeling rushed and never having enough time is a side effect of time not being tracked or budgeted. Disorganization occurs.

Every issue feels like a fire drill to manage — when each issue may be a low priority. The caregiving brain goes haywire and fails to manage the caregiving situation.

Caregiving TV on Roku TV and The Caring Generation® Caregiver Radio Program Offer Hope for Caregivers

Being a family caregiver with all of the caregiving roles and responsibilities is what Caregiving TV on Roku TV is all about.  Individuals new to caregiving have no idea of their role or of the responsibilities that are expected of them.

Because prior conversations never—or rarely—occurred, expectations about what the caregiver will do can result in major issues. Aging parents don’t want to be a burden or to need care. Caregivers don’t want caregiving to take over their lives.

These “don’t want” become a reality when care is needed. Where do caregivers turn for hope and help?

Pamela’s caregiver website features The Caring Generation® library, a newsletter, caregiver support groups, and information about The Caring Generation® radio program soon to be re-released by Pamela during the summer of 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions About Caregiver Support

Because caregiving support is not an often talked about subject, many caregivers don’t know where to turn for caregiver support, hope, or help. Time pressures exist. Caregivers lack the time to search for information.

Even more troubling to caregivers is thinking of adding another project or more time into an already full caregiving schedule. This is why online caregiving support groups and courses are a perfect option for participating in caregiver support groups.

Caregivers have many frequently asked questions about caregiver support. Pamela answers these questions on a page on her website.

The most important aspect about caregiver support are the benefits to caregivers and the aging parent, spouse, or other loved one receiving care. The benefits include:

• Being more confident about completing caregiving tasks
• Improving the decision-making process to avoid worry about making the wrong decision
• Gaining skills to manage caregiving situations
• Identifying skills critical to advocating for care with the healthcare system and caregiving providers
• Gaining hope that caregiving situations can improve
• The crossover in skills learned to manage caregiving to other parts of life. These include better time management, organization, and planning.

What is a Caregiving Webinar?

Webinar technology may be new for caregivers who have not utilized this technology in the workplace. Many caregivers ask “what is a caregiving webinar?” The webinar technology used by Pamela makes it easy for caregiver support course participants to watch course content and to participate in live question and answer sessions. 

The same webinar technology allows Pamela and course participants to show up “live” for conversations about caregiving. In these live webinars, Pamela helps caregiver assess situations, problem-solve, and manage care.

Technology today makes it easy for caregivers and aging adults to participate in caregiving support programs without leaving home. All that is needed in an Internet connection, a computer, and if one wants to appear live then computer speakers and a webcam.

For caregivers unfamiliar with webinar technology, a special page called, “what is a caregiving webinar” is on Pamela’s website. Here visitors can learn about webinars and watch three videos that illustrate how to sign up for a webinar, how to chat, and how to request to speak.

Participating in a caregiving webinar is easy and makes improving caregiving confidence and skills easy.

What is Roku TV and How Does It Work?

Roku’s explanation of being the pioneer of streaming TV makes it easy to understand why Caregiving TV is easily accessible and easy for caregivers and aging adults to watch.

“Roku is the company that pioneered streaming for the TV. We make Roku® streaming players that connect to your TV as well as Roku TVs™ that have the streaming experience built in. Just connect them to the Internet, set up a Roku account, and start streaming. Roku is a more convenient and cost-effective way to watch TV.” (1)

Once you purchase a Roku device (cost $49 to $99) there are no monthly fees for the basic service and many channels are FREE. Caregiving TV on the Roku channel is a free service that you can add to your “feed.”

A Roku feed allows you to select your favorite programs and place them on the main menu. This feature lets you know when Caregiving TV adds new episodes, called videos. Adding Caregiving TV to your Roku feed makes it easy to keep up with new episodes and caregiving subjects.

You simply create a search for Caregiving TV and add the channel to your feed.

Why is Caregiving TV on Roku TV A Solution for Problems Caregivers Face?

The growing aging population has and will continue to have a major effect on families. The number of baby boomers turning 65 each day is projected at 10,000 and the population of older adults is expected to double over the next 30 years.

Many caregivers work full-time, have their own families to raise, and care for aging parents or loved ones. Information gathering through the Internet and other media sources offers caregivers and aging adults the opportunity to be proactive about care needs, caregiving, and managing health.

Watching Television Is a Favorite Activity That Offers Solutions Through Caregiving TV

Watching television is a favorite activity and a leisure time choice for many Americans. By making Caregiving TV accessible through Roku TV, expert advice and information become available to many who previously did not consider the educational value of television.

Roku TV and Caregiving TV are also perfect because persons aged 65 and older are more likely to watch television because of having more leisure time. Caregiving and needing care are high priorities of this population. Many adult children, age 65 and older, care for parents of even older ages.

More information about Caregiving TV can be found at www.caregivingtv.com. Information about media events, The Caring Generation® radio program, and interviews with Pamela can be found on the Media and Press page.

Source:

(1) What is Roku TV and How Does it Work? https://www.roku.com/how-it-works