Tips for Caregivers from Caring Bridge

Tips for Caregivers from Caring Bridge

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Caring Bridge offers tips for reducing the strain of care giving: There’s no way around it. Caregiving is one of the most rewarding responsibilities and a true act of love and devotion to a loved one. But it is also one of the most challenging and stressful responsibilities a family member or friend can take on. 1. Stay Organized Between appointments, trips to the store, making dinner, going into work – life can get away from you pretty fast. Start each day with a to-do list, or block out time in your calendar to get the top priorities done. That way you will feel like you have some direction and control. Be flexible, and don’t sweat if you have to adjust each day. Keeping a calendar, budget, grocery list, and book of different passcodes (there are so many “patient portals” to log in to these days!) will help you regain a little sanity in your everyday life.   2. Focus on What You Are Able to Provide You...
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Ideas For Not Yelling During Discipline

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Discuss why it’s wrong. Make sure your child understands how his action — or inaction — has hurt someone or goes against the grain of your expectation. Then ask him if he thinks it would be a good idea to apologize, suggesting that he would probably want the same courtesy extended to him if his feelings had been hurt. Be reasonable when grounding. If your child or teen abuses a privilege, remove the privilege — briefly. Depriving a teen access to the cell phone for a month because she exceeded the plan’s calling minutes is overkill. She is your daughter after all, not a criminal. Withdrawing the privilege for a short time — and allowing your teen to earn it back by developing a credible game plan for not abusing the privilege next time — teaches the necessary lesson. Say it a couple of ways. Different kids respond to direction in different ways. When giving your child a task-such as putting her...
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Finding a Medicaid Behavioral Health Center in Texas

Finding a Medicaid Behavioral Health Center in Texas

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
If Behavioral Health Centers in Texas were as Medicaid friendly as they are LGBTQ friendly, the lives of special needs parents using Medicaid would be much easier to manage presently. God bless us everyone for acceptance and understanding of different lifestyle choices. At the same time, since our private insurance ended last year, we’ve found several places that seem to be really great fits for our son and family needs. They are even listed as accepting Medicaid. However after talking with them we find out they are no longer accepting Medicaid. #mentalhealth #specialneeds #medicaid #behavioralhealth...
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ODD, ADHD and Parenting

ODD, ADHD and Parenting

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
ODD and ADHD are closely related. Parenting cab be challenging and requires a lot of understanding and patience. What are ways to deal when your child or teen are angry, defiant and upset? ADDITUDE magazine suggests the following: Children with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder take defiant behavior to the extreme. When traditional discipline methods don’t work, what do you do? Children with oppositional defiant disorder are blatantly disobedient, disrespectful, and confrontational. Standard discipline doesn’t work. Instead, follow these strategies for how to discipline a child with oppositional defiant disorder: 1. Treat before you punish. Never discipline your child for behaviors that are symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. Opposition and defiance are sometimes neurological — not intentional. Once your treatment plan has impulsivity under control, you will know which acts are punishable. 2. Exercise away hostility. A potent tonic for the brain is exercise. It promotes healthy brain function and helps children control aggression. 3. Know your child’s patterns. Note when and where your child’s anger flares. Documentation...
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What Are Medicaid Waivers?

What Are Medicaid Waivers?

by Mark Johnson1 Comment
We are presently struggling to navigate through Medicaid Waivers in the State of Texas for our son (intellectual disability, autism, ADHD, DMDD - dysruptive mood disregulation disorder). We've been working for the YES (Youth Empowerment Services) Waiver with MHMR in Denton, Texas since April 2018 and are still waiting for services to begin. We were on the waiting list for a while. Then we were accepted to see if we are eligible - that process is taking months. There is a discrepancy with his IQ which is another story. WHAT ARE MEDICAID WAIVERS? Medicaid Waivers help provide services to people who would otherwise be in a nursing home or hospital to receive long-term care in the community. Although there are waivers for many conditions, our focus is towards waivers for people who have intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and autism. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAIVERS? There are several types of waivers: Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS): gives home and community-based supports to...
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How I Treat Those Who are Unable To Care For Themselves

How I Treat Those Who are Unable To Care For Themselves

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
How we treat and care for the disabled, elderly - those in need - reveals much about who we are. You don’t have to be an adoptive parent, guardian or care giver to show how much you care. Maybe you are an employer of a special needs parent. A friend or family member. A passer by on the street or at the store. Consideration, acknowledgment, concern, prayer, encouragement, kind words - they make a daily difference. ❤️ Everyone can choose to do something every day. Matthew 25:35-40 King James Version (KJV) 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we...
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