Senior home care is making the decision to care for your aging parents or loved ones in their home or in your home allowing them their independence but taking on the responsibility of their being the caregiver. Caring for aging parents or loved ones carries a lot of responsibility and a range of emotions. No matter how much love in your heart, carrying the load of caring for your loved one will leave you drained physically, emotionally and possibly financially. Coping with the stress of senior home care has to be managed or you will not be able to be an effective caregiver.

Managing the stress of senior home care is all about taking charge. Take charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment and the way you deal with problems and unexpected situations. The ultimate goal of coping with the stress of senior home care is to achieve a balanced life.

How to reduce, prevent, and cope with the stress of senior home care

Senior home care requires organization – Organize your time and your schedule. Write everything down so that you or another family member has reference to phone numbers, doctors, medications, in home senior care providers, important insurance and financial numbers.

Start a personal journal – Share your feelings about the stress of senior home care. Writing down your thoughts will help you to take charge of your emotions.

Prioritize your health and well-being. Nurturing yourself is a necessary not a luxury.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

• Go for a walk
• Call a good friend
• Sweat out the tension with a good workout
• Write in your journal
• Curl up with a good book
• Take a long bath
• Eat healthy and exercise regularly
• Play with your pet
• Work in your garden
• Listen to music
• Savor a cup of warm coffee or tea

Give yourself a break – Enlist the help of a professional senior home care provider. Senior home care providers such as Visiting Angels can provide daily or weekly help to everyday chores, errands, hygiene, meals or transportation needs just to name a few. Senior home care providers can also provide a respite to you responsibilities with as little as 15 minute notice to avoid unnecessary stress if your schedule needs help.

Coping with the stress of senior home care is the only possible way to be an effective caregiver to your loved ones. Your mental and physical health must take priority or you will not be able to manage what needs to be done. Take advantage of these tips. Organize yourself, express yourself, nurture yourself and help yourself by arranging for assistance with a senior home care provider.

Bio: Linda Dunkelberger is a freelance writer and editor. “Coping with Stress of Senior Home Care” shares tips for coping with the stress of senior home care. Visiting Angels is a senior home care provider that helps seniors with everyday tasks, errands, meals, transportation, just to name a few services. For more information on Visiting Angels in your area, see www.Visitingangels.com.

The benefits of red wine have been debated for several years. For the most part, the reports that you might read about red wine as it relates to our health are not conflicting. Through scientific research and clinical studies, it has come to be generally accepted that, when consumed in moderate amounts, red wine can offer us quite a few health benefits.

If you are a fan of red wine, such news is certainly cause for celebration!

How Much Red Wine Should I Drink?

The key, of course, is to exercise caution when consuming red wine. Just because red wine consumption possesses some health benefits, it does not mean that you should drink as much red wine as you possibly can. For women, 1-2 glasses of red wine per day is considered to be a moderate amount. For men, 3-4 glasses of red wine per day is more than sufficient.

The Benefits of Red Wine

One reason that red wine has been examined so closely by health professionals, is because of the “French Paradox.” There are areas of France where the overall consumption of saturated fats is much higher than the typical American diet.

Not only are the French diets higher in saturated fats, the French also typically drink several glasses of red wine on a daily basis. Despite this, there are significantly less instances of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease among the French. Why would that be so unless there is something about red wine that provides health benefits? This question led researchers to discover the antioxidant properties in red wine, particularly French red wines.

You may already know a few of the benefits of antioxidants for slowing the oxidation process in the body, which helps to deter many significantly harmful illnesses. The benefits of the antioxidants in some red wines may surprise you, too.

For example, did you know that red wine can help reduce the harmful effects of food poisoning? Red wine contains properties that help to rid the body of toxins, which can also be beneficial for reducing the effects of dysentery & diarrhea.

What Exactly is in Red Wine?

The primary antioxidant found in red wine is called resveratrol. Resveratrol is found in the seeds and skins of processed and fermented grapes. Because of the process that red wines are put through during processing, they have higher resveratrol levels than other wines. Resveratrol can also be found in peanuts, cranberries, and blueberries.

It has been suggested that drinking purple grape juice and non-alcoholic red wine offer similar or equal benefits as red wine consumption. Further research is required before a conclusive determination can be made regarding the resveratrol content (and health benefits) of purple grape juice.

Which Red Wines Offer You the Most Benefits?

According to researchers at the University of California-Davis, the highest concentrations of flavonoids (including resveratrol) can be found in Cabernet Sauvignon. Two other red wines offering high levels of these beneficial antioxidants are Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir.

Merlots & Red Sinfandels have significantly fewer flavonoids than these three red wines. White wines have even smaller amounts of them. A good rule of thumb to remember is the sweeter the wine, the fewer the flavonoids.

Red wine consumption is not appropriate for everyone. Health professionals only recommend that people with a clean bill of health drink red wine or any other type of alcohol. In fact, there are many health problems that can occur from the overuse of red wine & alcohol. Not to mention that certain medications can not mix with alcohol.