Have you stopped to consider the impact of a low energy body on your role in caregiving?  We  are talking about both your energy levels and your loved ones.  Energy levels impact the sound quality of someone's voice, their posture, their movement, their interaction with the environment; and a low energy body can make all areas of daily living  more difficult. 

Energy is required to initiate a task, sustain participation in a task and complete a task.  Energy is required to ignite the thought that will precede the initiation of the task.  Where does this energy come from?  Have you been wondering why your loved one seems to be lacking energy and maybe it is declining steadily and so is their participation in daily tasks?

 Consider the definition of energy first.  Energy is defined as the ability to do work.  what is the work of your Loved one?  It could be as basic as sitting up at the side of the bed each day. Energy  is created by the food we eat.  So, consider what your loved one is or isn't eating.  How often are they eating?  When energy levels are very low, it can be a challenge to get a person to even engage in the vital necessity of eating.   If this is the case, consider providing small snacks that are carbohydrate based to add some fuel to the body in order for them to have the energy to eat more substantial intake ( consult with your physician for all diet needs).  Consider tasks that require more energy ( showering, dressing, leaving the house) and plan food intake around this for optimal participation.

How is energy released?  This involves breathing.  What is the quality of breath in your loved one?  Watch how deeply they breathe and exhale. This is a huge factor because oxygen is required to break down the sugar in the blood and the body releases it at CO2.  Proper oxygen levels aid in this process and if it is lacking you can imagine the delay in this entire process.  Too much CO2 in the blood stream can cause hypercapnia, although this is uncommon; it provides insight to the importance of proper breathing.  Over the years, working with hundreds of adults, one of the simplest exercises to get them started toward increased energy level and core strength is with breathing and core activation.  I made a video just for you to help you engage them in these and it's right here: https://www.caregiverbydesign.com/seatedexercises

So, if you are feeling like your role as a caregiver just keeps demanding more of your physical body and you are seeing less participation from your LOs body, this could be one of your foundational issues that you can start to address today.   
If you want more support in your caregiving skill application and you are a heart centered service provider, I invite you to a free mini training series that I created.  https://www.caregiverbydesign.com/freetraining

Want to hear something specific covered on this podcast?  Well, I want to provide an episode just for you so please let me know what it is right here: https://www.caregiverbydesign.com/contactme

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