Caregiver in Bellevue WA
As a caregiver, nurturing and caring for your elderly parents in order to fulfill their daily needs and help them live 
the highest quality of life possible is important. Unfortunately for many caregivers, this compassion toward their aging parents takes a toll on their own bodies. One place where the effort and work of caregiving is most evident in on your hands. Since you use your hands to do everything from wash dishes and help your parents bathe to preparing meals and offering mobility assistance, they go through a lot on a daily basis, which could leave them sore, dry, cracked, and looking tired.
Your hands are one of the first things that many people notice about you and are often one of the greatest indications of your age, health, and wellbeing. By taking care of your hands you feel pampered, indulged, and cared-for, while also protecting yourself from painful and potentially dangerous issues like splits in your skin and hang nails.
Try some of these tips for taking time out of your caregiving routine to pamper yourself and keep your hands soft, beautiful, and protected:
• Self-massage. Rubbing your hands releases tension and soothes aching joints. It also works to condition your muscles, strengthening one hand while comforting the other. Perform a quick massage any time your hands are feeling tired by completely relaxing one hand, supporting it with the other, and using your thumb to apply firm pressure into the center of your palm. Press in a circular motion and move around your hand, massaging the pad beneath your knuckles, the heel of your hand, and your palm. Repeat on both hands and follow it with a few wrist rolls to release tension in your wrists and stimulate blood flow to your hands.
• Pamper yourself. When you have a few more minutes, go through a full pampering treatment to soothe, soften, and hydrate your hands. Start by massaging an emollient cream such as petroleum jelly into your hands until you have a thin coating all over your skin. Next, use an exfoliating body scrub to scrub all over your hands, including in between your fingers and around your wrists, using enough pressure to feel the texture sloughing away dead skin. Use a highly moisturizing hand soap or body wash to cleanse your hands, removing all of the scrub and the emollient. Finish with a rich moisturizing cream for hands that are soft and luxuriously smooth.
• Exercise your hands. Keeping your hands strong is important for maintaining your effectiveness and safety as a caregiver. Just a few minutes of exercise each day is enough to keep the muscles and joints in your hands strong and flexible so you can maintain your range of motion and dexterity. Try squeezing a stress ball for a few minutes with each hand or using a spring-activated exercise tool while watching television, sitting in traffic, or doing other activities. Remember to stretch your hands and fingers regularly to prevent cramping.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring caregiver services in Bellevue, WA, call Guest Home Care. Our compassionate staff is happy to speak with you about your needs. Call today (206) 299-3768.