So what do we mean by eldercare? There is no consensus on what it is to be ‘old’, as it varies from society to society and culture to culture. When it comes to caring for older people, then, it helps to think in terms of vulnerability in old age, rather than age itself, as it is obviously not the case that all older people need help. Defining the term ‘care’ is also far from easy – do we take care to mean protecting someone from risk, or as helping them to live with risk? Who provides care? Is there a consensus on who should provide care? These questions are the subject of debate in a number of fields, but what must not be forgotten is that, when we are talking about elders, we are talking about people and, when we are talking about eldercare, we are talking about the need to help those people live the lives they want to live, rather than what ageist assumptions present as the lives they should be living.
#7 – Dealing with Alcohol and Substance Abuse in the Workplace
Reliance on alcohol, the use of illegal drugs and the misuse of prescription medication can all be highly problematic in the workplace. Simply dismissing people who exhibit such problems can mean the loss of valued employees who are going through a bad patch in their lives – a move that can prove quite costly in the long run – with the additional cost that others may perceive the organisation as uncaring and unsupportive of its staff. Such a perception may then lead to problems of recruitment and retention. But, if the problems of alcohol and drugs misuse in the workplace are not tackled, the cost to the organisation and its employees can be even greater. A good understanding of the issues involved is therefore an important thing to develop.
Shift Work and Family Routines
Submitted by Kamu Laird, M.Sc.
Shift work affects the entire family since family routines can never be fully set. Participation in outside activities such as clubs and sports becomes complicated. Shift workers usually have less time to spend with their family and friends, since they are often at work when regular social activities are scheduled and at home when others are at work. Therefore, shift workers may spend less of their time-off involved in social and recreational activities.
Fatigue may also prevent shift workers from enjoying those recreational and social activities that they are able to participate in. This may be particularly true of parents who have family duties after work. Shift workers may have family obligations that shorten their sleep time, such as caring for young children or elderly family members. Consequently, they tend to sleep poorly.
Effective Strategies for Shift Workers
- Maintain regular eating patterns as much as possible.
- Time meals carefully. Afternoon workers should have the main meal in the middle of the day instead in the middle of the work shift. Night workers should eat lightly throughout the shift and have a moderate breakfast. That way they should not get too hungry while sleeping during the day and digestive discomfort should be minimal.
- Pay careful attention to the type of food eaten. Eat crackers and fruit instead of soft drinks and candy bars during work breaks. Reduce the intake of salt, caffeine, and alcohol.
- Avoid excessive use of antacids, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. It is healthier to watch what and when you eat, and use relaxation techniques to aid sleep.
- Relax during meals and allow time for digestion.
- Take leisure seriously.
- Make time for quiet relaxation before bed to help get better sleep.
- Plan dates with your partner and times to communicate about issues of concerns (parenting, finances).
- Make sleep a priority and enlist the entire family’s cooperation in ensuring shift workers get their rest.
- Get a big calendar and use lots of lists. E-mail notes to family members.
- Call your spouse and kids on your breaks to stay in touch.
- Create rituals that bring the whole family together.
Assertiveness for Safety
It is important for one’s survival to be assertive about certain matters of safety. If you are in a vehicle with a ‘tipsy’ driver speeding on the highway, having consumed more than two drinks, and you stay quiet; you are contributing to criminal negligence.
You may be on your way to hurting another person in the oncoming vehicle, a pedestrian on the sidewalk or on the verge of hurting yourself and your friends in your vehicle. You may not be the trigger but you are part of a vehicle that has the potential to become a weapon of mass destruction.
To stay quiet and peaceful, if that is possible at all, is not an option. If you do, you are being negligent and criminally so. You are being passive, in the moment when assertiveness is required.
Assertiveness is the ability to stand up for your rights, opinions, ideas, beliefs and desires while at the same time respecting those of others. In this case, your passivity ignores your need for safety and self preservation. Assertiveness is the emotionally intelligent way of having your needs met; it takes into account your thoughts, ideas and feelings as well as those of the other party in a way that works to your mutual benefit. Assertiveness is communicated both through the words you use and the way you use them, and through body messages. Stand up, speak up, and raise an alarm for the safety of yourself and others.