The Mended Hearts, Inc.
Hearts of Jersey Chapter #179

December 2008

Message from the President

Sometimes things just don’t seem to work out. You may be reading this at the Celebration of the Heart dinner or if you missed it, your mailed copy of the Mended Hearts Chapter 179 Newsletter has finally arrived. We would have liked to deliver the newsletter before the big event but the late Thanksgiving coupled with the early Celebration just didn’t work.

Very often I use a December message to say thank you to many supporters of Mended Hearts but this year I want to dedicate this month to the caregivers of the world. Usually when I talk about exercise and health issues I’m talking to heart patients. With some help from the New York Times* this message is for the caregivers of the heart patients.

A very important word in the language of the caregiver is burnout. It’s wonderful to be dedicated to your patient but if you were doing it as a normal job, you would get coffee breaks and regular hours, even help and support from other staff members. Sometimes we as patients forget your needs and expect you to be a superhuman being. We also tend to take advantage of your good nature. For this I apologize for all of us and I suggest you try some of the following.

Come to a Mended Hearts meeting and meet some of the other caregivers. Perhaps a mutual arrangement can be made so that the patient will have support from another friend. Now the caregivers will have some time to themselves. Go to a movie, have dinner out, do some shopping. Do some things that you wanted to do but haven’t felt able to leave your patient. This is the age of the cell phone. Even the pre-paid emergency phones will solve patient-caregiver communications.

I often browbeat the members of our chapter to maintain a regular exercise programs. These words of wisdom go for caregivers also. Exercise is necessary to maintain physical and mental stamina. It’s really not just for heart patients. Try riding the exercise bike, take several walks around the block, do some aerobic exercise inside. You might also consider working out at the fitness center.

Recent studies have pointed out the concern for heart attack survivors and heart patients being more prone to suffer from depression and anxiety. The same is true for caregivers. Don’t hesitate to discuss your concerns with a medical doctor; there are medications that can help.

We spend a lot of time talking about the special diet concerns of patients. Caregivers need nutritious meals on a regular basis and not necessarily all prepared by themselves. Order out. Several restaurants now offer pickup of complete prepared meals from the menu. It’s no longer just pizza delivery. Nutritious meals are available.

I recently nagged the patients about a flu shot. That message goes for you caregivers too. You need to be as concerned about your own health as you are about your patient’s medical conditions. Dedication is wonderful but be sure to take care of yourself. Don’t burnout.

In this holiday season I offer a special thank you to the Caregivers, we need and love you dearly.