If your website is poorly designed, you will drive leads away. They will seek out another business, causing you to lose business to your competitors.
To attract leads, you need a professionally designed website that entices and engages them. This will help you keep your leads on your page so that you earn more conversions for your business.
1. Make your design reflect your business
Your website is an extension of your brand, so its design should reflect your business. It is important that you pick a design that fits your brand because it is how people will remember you.
Your type of business determines your design. If you are a graphic design company, you may have a web design that is more elaborate. On the other hand, a doctor’s office has a design that is simple and reflective of their business.
Overall, you want to choose colors and designs that make your target audience think of your brand. This will help you build your brand recognition and create a sense of association with your businesses.
By selecting a clean and modern design that reflects your company, you will keep leads on your page longer.
2. Create a simple homepage
Whether you use search engine optimization (SEO) or pay-per-click (PPC) ads, you typically direct people to your homepage to learn about your business. Once they’re there, they can navigate your website to learn more in-depth information. However, the homepage is an initial representation of your brand, so it’s a useful resource to inform leads about your company.
It is important that you design a homepage that is simple but effective. You don’t want to overwhelm your visitors with an abundance of information. If your website is too busy, you’ll deter leads.
Your homepage should include elements that interests your audience. You’ll want to focus more on visual elements rather than a block of text. Visual elements keep your visitors engaged and encourage them to learn more.
Instead of blocks of text, you can create visual elements that link to pages with more information. This helps readers see different aspects of your business and enables them to decide what to look at next.
To create an effective homepage, only include important information on it. This will keep your website from becoming too cluttered and allow leads to navigate your pages effectively.
By creating a simple homepage, you will keep leads engaged with your page longer.
3. Create a functional navigation
Your navigation is one of the most important parts of your website. When people want to find information on your site, they use your navigation. You want people to find the right pages without struggle.
When you design your navigation, you need to ensure that it is simple and easy to use. You want to create broad headings that can include specific subheadings. This will help you keep your website organized as well as help your visitors find information.
If you have poor navigation, users won’t find information. They will struggle to find the right pages. This will cause them to leave your site and pick a competitor’s site.
To keep leads engaged on your website longer, create a functional navigation that helps them find the right information.
4. Responsive design
One of the most significant things you need for your website is a responsive design. Responsive design is extremely important because it affects how users experience your site.
When your website has a responsive design, it adapts to the device a user uses. Whether it’s a mobile phone or a desktop, both users see your site in a way that fits their device. This is critical to keeping users engaging on your site.
If your website appears like the desktop version on every device, users will struggle to use your site. The words and links are too small, and users would need to zoom in to see everything. They can’t view your page on a mobile phone, in its entirety, if it is designed like your desktop design.
This kind of design is essential to your website because it enables mobile and tablet users to view your website properly. They have a seamless experience that enables them to enjoy their time on your website. This keeps leads on your website longer, regardless of the device they use.
By implementing a responsive design, you will capture more leads and keep them engaged with your business’ website.
5. Make your site easy to skim
Many leads will skim your site to find information. They are looking for a particular piece of information, so they will look through your site quickly to find it. This is especially true of mobile users.
You need to create a design that makes it easy for the user to skim your pages. It is important that they find the right information quickly. You can design your website to make it easy for your audience to skim your site.
To provide them with a positive experience, you need to make your website easy to read.
Here are some best practices you can follow as you design your website:
Write in small paragraphs. Users can scroll through and pick out information easier when the paragraphs are small.
Use graphics to help important information stand out. This will catch their eye and enable them to see the information quickly.
Choose a font that is easy to read. If you decide on an intricate font, your readers will struggle to read the information on your site.
These are just a few ways you can help your website be easier to skim. By making a website that is easy to skim, you will be able to provide your leads with the most important information that can help them convert.
6. Include visual elements
Visual elements are an influential part of your design. You don’t want your site to be bogged down by text. This can deter away leads.
By including visual elements like photos, videos, and infographics, you catch your visitor’s interest because they take the time to look at visual elements. It is a great way to break up text and keep them interested in your page.
One of the best elements to include on your page is a video, which can have a huge impact on your audience. In fact, consumers are 10 times more likely to interact with a video than text.
This interaction with the videos means you keep leads engaged. When you keep leads engaged, you earn more conversions for your business. Utilizing visual elements to earn more leads and conversions for your business.
7. Incorporate social media buttons
Social media is a great way to help your leads connect with your business.
When you create your design, you want to include social media buttons. If your leads are on social media, it is a quick way to connect them directly to your page. They can choose to follow your page if they are interested.
Social media helps you build a direct connection with leads, so it is important that you incorporate these buttons on your site. Use social media buttons, to help your business connect with better leads that can earn you conversions.
8. Include calls to action (CTA)
Many businesses make the mistake of omitting calls to action (CTA) on their pages. This is one of the most vital pieces of your site because it prompts your leads to take action.
In addition, when users come to your site and like the information they see, they may not know what steps to take next. By integrating CTA buttons, you can guide them to the next step in order to move them towards conversion.
By including CTA buttons in your design that stand out, you will earn more conversions for your business.
9. Test your pages
When you have all the elements you need for your professional web design, it is important to test your pages.
This is a great way to create a site that works for your target market. You can see where users struggle to use your site so that it’s easier to adjust based on these issues.
By testing your pages, you will create a site that helps you earn more leads and conversions.
Travelling just about anywhere in Georgia has a habit of feeling like one big adventure, which if you’re anything like me, is pretty much the best kind of trip.
Things don’t always go according to plan, buses come or they don’t, businesses are open or they’re not, political tensions mean visiting some areas require some forward planning and the roads are so hectic you’ll probably dread getting behind the wheel. But beyond that, the landscapes are simply bursting with rugged, natural beauty, the cities are rich in culture and history and when it comes to food and wine, Georgia sure knows how it’s done.
On the surface, things might seem a little chaotic, but with a bit of flexibility and the occasional willingness to fly by the seat of your pants, it’s actually a fairly easy place to travel and a perfect destination for anyone seeking somewhere a little off beat.
These are my top Georgia travel tips and some useful things to know before you go.
* This post includes affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. *
GEORGIA TRAVEL TIPS | THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
1 | DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT SKIPPING THE MOUNTAINS
From the lush green meadows and dramatic peaks of Kazbegi to the glacier-dressed valleys and dense forests of Svaneti to the lesser visited corners of the High Caucasus that I’m still aching to explore, Georgia’s mountains are an absolute feast for the eyes and a veritable hiker’s paradise, whether its a fun day hike you’re after or a challenging multi-day trek.
But, for those who aren’t avid hikers, these pockets of wilderness can certainly be enjoyed in a more leisurely way with the constantly improving roads making it easier than ever to access the more remote corners of the mountains.
Need some inspiration? My favourite hikes in the country were the arduous climb to Gergeti Glacier and the spectacular 4-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli.
2 | FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD, AND WITH PLENTY OF VEGGIE OPTIONS
Georgia is the kind of place where the humble heirloom tomato is transformed into a masterpiece with the simple addition of spices and salt, where walnuts and eggplants are ground, grilled and intertwined to create a melt-in-your-mouth symphony of flavours, and where an arm long boat of airy, slightly salted, oven-fresh bread is the perfect afternoon snack.
Washed down with homemade lemonades infused with mint and tarragon, a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a ramshackle street stall or a full-bodied glass of red and I’m still scratching my head as to how the delights of Georgian cuisine have remained some kind of secret.
Whether you’re in a homestay in a remote corner of the mountains or in a top-notch restaurant in Tbilisi, you’re virtually guaranteed a filling and lip-smackingly good feed that will have you holding out your plate for more. Seriously, the food is fantastic!
In Georgia, meals are also often a communal affair. The supra – feast – is a huge part of the culture and it’s not uncommon to sit down to family dinners at homestays or find menus filled with smaller dishes that are designed to be shared amongst a group.
At restaurants, a 10-15% service charge is often added to the bill, especially in more touristy restaurant or in the big cities. Don’t feel obliged to tip on top of that.
3 | PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS PRETTY WELL-ORGANISED
While bus stations around Georgia are often of the chaotic and slightly overwhelming variety (particularly those scattered around Tbilisi), once you’ve figured out how it all works, the transport itself is actually rather well organised.
As with much of Central Asia, marshrutkas – small, often fairly beaten up minivans – will be your bread and butter of transport and are the easiest way to get around, though taxis are just as good, if a little more expensive, for shorter trips.
For popular routes, most services have a fixed schedule for departures which are often posted at the bus terminal, while other services leave when full.
Another option for long-distance travel in Georgia is the train, with the most popular routes being the slow overnight service from Tbilisi to Zugdidi for Mestia, and Batumi. International trains also run to Yerevan in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
4 | IT’S AN INCREDIBLY BUDGET-FRIENDLY DESTINATION
Georgia is one of those places where you can really scrimp and still get by comfortably, or splurge and live like a king for relatively little.
Exceptional multi-course meals, a bed in Tbilisi’s best hostel, a couple of excellent bottles of wine and an overnight train can all be had for less than €10.
I averaged around €25 a day across my 6-week trip, and while I was still fairly budget conscious, I almost always had a private room instead of a dorm, went on the occasion organised day trip and spared no expense when it came to eating well. If you’re travelling on a super tight budget and cut out some of these luxuries, you could comfortably get by for a fraction of this.
5 | GEORGIA HAS SOME OF THE MOST HOSPITABLE PEOPLE EVER…
On my first venture outside of Tbilisi, I arrived hot and sweaty to my guesthouse after a long marshrutka ride and was promptly extricated from my backpack, seated on the lush terrace and plied with pancakes and steaming hot cups of tea, without question or charge. I chalked it up to me just choosing a damn good guesthouse.
Turns out, this is a fairly regular occurrence in Georgia. In fact, this seems to be the appropriate solution to most situations. The guesthouse is fully booked: cake? You’re leaving tomorrow: wine? You’re completely lost and in need of a chaperone to the right place: that calls for three cups of tea, two slices of cake and an extra one for the road.
While often these tokens of generosity were carried out matter-of-factly and with an air of brusqueness, these wonderfully kind and warm gestures make up some of the most memorable moments of many visitors’ trips.
6 | … BUT YOU STILL NEED TO TAKE THE USUAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Overall, Georgia is an incredibly safe country to travel. In fact, Tbilisi is listed among the world’s safest cities. But the country is not without its social issues and incidents do occasionally occur and often they’re a simple case of bad luck.
The aforementioned warmth and hospitality that many visitors experience in Georgia stems from the prevailing idea that guests are a ‘gift from God’ and while the overwhelming majority of locals are genuinely kind and truly want you to have a fantastic time in their country, don’t take this idea as an invitation to throw your street smarts out the window altogether.
Just like anywhere in the world, incidents of being scammed, robbed or worse do happen. Take the usual precautions, don’t put yourself in unnecessarily risky situations and trust your intuition before blindly trusting a stranger purely because of this mentality that they have to do right by you. They don’t!
While I generally felt completely safe as a solo female traveller in Georgia, Abkhazia has seen a dramatic spike in crime over the past year, while the Svaneti region also has something of a reputation.
7 | TAKE NOTE OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE INDEPENDANT STATES
After decades of unrest that culminated in the 2008 war between Georgia and the self-proclaimed independent states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the political climate remains tense and these are certainly areas to be aware of.
Many governments advise against travel here altogether, though experienced travellers do still visit.
For Abkhazia, this guide is an excellent and up-to-date resource on how to get a visa and travel in the region.
For South Ossetia, the only way to access the region is via Russia. If you happen to reach the border on the Georgian side during your wanderings around Kazbegi, you will be turned back. This account details what to expect from a visit.
8 | OUTSIDE OF THE CITY FEW PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH, BUT IT’S EASY TO GET BY
Georgian is not an easy language to learn and while I’m a big believer in picking up at least a few phrases for each country I visit, seeing that I was struggling to wrap my tongue around a simple hello and goodbye – gamarjoba and mshvidobit, in case you were curious – I didn’t get all that far in learning much else. Paired with that, the ornate alphabet looked to me like a rather pretty series of squiggly lines that I couldn’t even begin to decipher.
In the major cities, many locals speak excellent English, especially the younger generations, but once you set off to the smaller villages and the mountains, expect to be doing a lot of gesticulating and the dance of charades with a handful of awkward misunderstandings thrown in for good measure.
If picking up some Georgian seems a little too daunting but you’re keen to learn something, some Russian and the Cyrillic alphabet might be a little more manageable and, helpfully, is widely understood in Georgia, as well as the Caucasus, Central Asia and some of the Balkans for those travelling further afield.
9 | LEARN YOUR SAPERAVI FROM YOUR KINDZMARAULI
Whether it’s red, white or amber, Georgia sure knows how to do wine.
Home to the oldest wine region in the world and with a reputation for excellent produce (word is they even used to hand out a small bottle to newcomers at customs, how great is that!), I sat down to my much-anticipated first glass in Georgia and was greeted by an entirely new vocabulary of grapes – definitely no run of the mill cab sav over here!
I picked one purely on the basis that it was rather fun to say and rolled off the tongue, but at my first taste of subtly sweet Kinzmarauli followed by the signature Saperavi, I was completely hooked. Anywhere in the country, there’ll almost always be wine on the menu and you can virtually guarantee it will be both delicious and cheap.
That said, the ‘homemade’ stuff they sell at some guesthouses and restaurants is generally fairly awful and should not be placed in remotely the same category as the good stuff. Kind of like a berry cordial mixed with hard liquor.
For those looking to try the full smorgasbord of Georgian grapes straight from the wineries, a day or weekend trip to Signagi and Khaketi is a must on any Georgian itinerary.
Looking for something a little stronger? A stiff swig of chacha should do the trick!
10 | IT’S EASY AND CHEAP TO REACH FROM EUROPE
A growing network of flights to Georgia means it’s never been easier (or cheaper) to travel here.
Despite their stringent luggage rules, Wizzair, in particular, is forging the way with regular, affordable services to Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi.
If you’re searching on Skyscanner, by selecting ‘Georgia’ rather than a specific city, you’ll quickly be shown options for the cheapest connections and by booking one-way tickets you’ll be able to save a chunk of time by not backtracking across the country.
Tbilisi is a humming, metropolitan city where ATMs are prevalent and credit cards are widely accepted. The same is true for Georgia’s other major cities, like Kutaisi and Batumi.
Once you head into the countryside, however, where it’s all ma and pa eateries and family-run guesthouses, you’ll need to pay for almost everything in cash.
Small towns tend to have at least one ATM, but if you’re setting off into the really remote areas or attempting a multi-day hike, be sure to have enough cash with you to cover all your costs while you’re away, plus a bit extra just in case.
12 | PEOPLE DRIVE LIKE MADMEN
As seems to be the case just about everywhere in this part of the world, the disregard for general road rules and basic road safety is kind of astounding and, more often than not, downright terrifying.
From overtaking at speed on blind corners and in the rain to driving the winding mountain roads with tyres rubbed smooth from the rough roads, there were some days where I truly dreaded having to get behind the wheel.
To put your mind at ease, even a little, always, always wear a seatbelt and if there isn’t one try to have at least one seat in front of you. Avoid travelling by road at night and bring some kind of distraction for every journey – podcasts and audiobooks are my go-to! (Psst. Looking for audiobooks on Audible? Sign up for your free, no obligation 30-day trial and receive 2 complimentary audiobooks of your choice!) It may seem a little counterintuitive, but I also almost always prefer to take marshrutkas over taxis. While the latter are generally more comfortable, they also tend to drive much faster and more erratically.
13 | THERE’S WIFI EVERYWHERE
Whether you’re in the heart of Tbilisi, a remote village in the High Caucasus or a dinky cafe near a waterfall in the middle of nowhere, chances are you’ll have access to wifi.
Though sometimes a trip to the wilderness is the perfect excuse for a digital detox, while travelling in Georgia you certainly won’t be forced to take a break from your Instagram feed if you don’t want to. The country is seriously well connected and most of the time the internet is pretty fast as well.
In Georgia, I seemed to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the dogs of the land.
In the cities, there is an excellent initiative where stray dogs are collected, vaccinated, de-sexed and released back onto the streets. It’s also fairly common to see overflowing bowls of dog food scattered along the pavements for the strays to come and go as they please. They’re healthy, clean and friendly, even more so if you throw them the odd treat or offer up a loving scratch behind the ears.
When it came to the mountains, however, it was a bit of a mixed bag.
In Kazbegi I had a beautiful little pup escort me almost all the way up to Gergeti Glacier. He would trot by my heals then dart off through the meadows only to emerge waiting patiently on the path ahead. But in Ushguli, while munching on a boat of freshly baked bread, I managed to attract a motley crew of about a dozen dogs who became increasingly aggressive as I wandered around town. Tusheti is also notorious for sheepdogs that are, quite understandably, viciously protective of their flocks.
Basically, just use your common sense. If they’re friendly, give them some love. If they’re not, best to keep a wide berth.
15 | LATE SPRING THROUGH AUTUMN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT GEORGIA
If it’s the mountains you seek then it’s important to consider the season when planning your trip.
Winter in Georgia means chilly temperatures in the cities and a thick layer of snow across the mountains, while summer carpets the valleys in dewy greens and brings the sweltering heat to the cities.
By late spring, the snow has begun to melt, the wildflowers emerge and the rivers are gushing. I visited in September which meant warm days in the city and the beginnings of autumn colours in the forests, along with cold evenings in the High Caucasus and mild days perfect for hiking.
Web Designers are responsible for designing and building the interface, navigation and aesthetic of websites for businesses and clients. Likely working in the IT team of an organisation or for a digital design agency that services clients, Web Designers should possess a range of skills and qualities. A Web Designer job description should ask for candidates that are experts in design best practice, understand user and client needs, and be excellent communicators.
Web Designer duties and responsibilities of the job
Requiring both technical and creative skills, a Web Designer job description typically includes some of these tasks and duties:
Designing engaging and responsive landing pages
Integrating client CMS programs and data feeds into websites
Optimising sites for maximum speed and scalability
Employing industry and design best practice through website build process
Conducting website testing
Liaising with back-end developers to ensure web and app logic is properly integrated
Ensuring website function and stability across devices i.e. desktop, mobile, tablet
Working with marketing and research teams to incorporate brand elements and relevant market research findings into website
Providing internal support and external customer service throughout the build and launch process of the website
Web Designer job qualifications and requirements
Certificates, diplomas and degrees can all be cited as ‘preferred’ in a Web Designer job description, and are not essential. It is common for web design candidates to be self-taught, or have completed on-the-job training to develop key skills and gain experience with specialised applications. If a formal qualification is requested, the relevant areas of study are:
Web Design
Digital Media
Information Technology
Science or Computer Science
Graphic Design
It is however critical to list the software and programs that candidates need to be proficient in. Some of these are listed below. Requesting a minimum of three years’ experience is also recommended.
HTML
CSS
jQuery
JavaScript
Adobe Suite – Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
API web integration
Experience in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)
It is still considered an underrated and mysterious destination by many – but if you’ve been to Georgia, you’ll fondly remember its charm, beauty and warm hospitality. And it might be a small nation, sitting between Europe and Asia, but it has a lot to offer – with ancient cities, Unesco World Heritage Sites, snowcapped mountains, lush nature and delicious wine. If you’re considering a trip, here are some interesting facts to stir your curiosity.
1. Georgia isn’t the country’s only name
Georgians call their country Sakartvelo. The name consists of two parts: Kartvel, which refers to an inhabitant of the central Georgian region of Kartli, and the circumfix sa-o stands for a general geographic identification meaning “land where the Kartveli live”. There are multiple theories as to where the English name of the country originated, but most support a connection to St George and agree that the name is derived from the Persian and Turkish version of the name George, Gorj and Gurju, which was itself derived from the Russian word Gruzia.
2. It’s the cradle of winemaking
Georgia has been producing wine for 8,000 years and is considered to be the birthplace of winemaking. This discovery was entirely accidental – Georgians found that if grape juice was poured in large earthenware vessels, called qvevri, and buried underground over winter, it would turn into wine. Unesco has listed the traditional Georgian winemaking method – through the use of qvevri – on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
3. Georgia may be home to one of the oldest communities
An archaeological expedition to a site in Dmanisi found the oldest human skulls – some up to 1.8m years old – in the Caucasus, providing evidence that Georgia may be home to one of the oldest communities. Though six skulls were found, two have been given the Georgian names Zezva and Mzia and artists have worked to reconstruct their likeness.
4. It is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world
Georgia has almost every type of climate, from subtropical and alpine to semi-desert, but its land is also conducive to agriculture, with 49 different types of soil. This makes the Georgian biosphere one of the most ecologically diverse on earth. Though a wide variety of species can be found all over the country, dense forests cover 43% and are populated by animals such as lynxes, bears and a small number of leopards.
You’ll find 12 different climate zones across Georgia, making it one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world | Courtesy of Georgia Tourism
5. The Georgian language is unique
The Georgian language is one of the most unique languages in the world and boasts its own alphabet. Though Georgian script has taken multiple forms – respectively Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli – the latter is the standard 33-letter script used by modern Georgians today. Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri are solely used by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Interestingly, though, standard Georgian is based on the Kartvelian dialect, one of 14 existing unique scripts in the Georgian alphabet.
6. It is home to a number of Unesco World Heritage Sites
There are three Georgian cultural sites listed on Unesco’s World Heritage list: the ancient city and former capital, Mtskheta, Gelati Monastery and the mountainous region of Upper Svaneti. Though these are incredible locations, it is worth mentioning that there are 15 other sites on a tentative list that could potentially be considered for a World Heritage Site nomination in the future.
Georgia is known for its tradition of polyphonic singing, a practice that was put on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2008. There are four notable types of polyphony: complex polyphony, which is common in the region of Svaneti; polyphonic dialogue over a bass background, popular in the region of Kakheti; and contrasted polyphony, consisting of three partially improvised sung parts characteristic of western Georgia.
8. It has some of Europe’s highest permanent settlements
The villages of Bochorna and Ushguli, at an altitude of 2,345m (7,694ft) and 2,100m (6,890ft) above sea level respectively, are some of the highest permanent settlements in Europe. Both are found in mountainous regions where the summer months are short and the winter seasons are snowy and breezy.
9. There is a recording of a traditional Georgian song in space
A recording of Chakrulo, a Georgian folk song usually sung at festivals and celebrations, was sent into space on the Voyager spacecraft. The Golden Record has 115 images encoded in analogue form, different natural sounds, traditional music from various countries, and spoken greetings in 59 languages. It’s like a message in a bottle, a welcome for any prospective life forms that may come across the probe.
10. Georgia contains two ancient European cities
Mtskheta and Kutaisi, both former capitals of Georgia, are among Europe’s oldest cities. Kutaisi served as the capital of the United Kingdom of Georgia from 1008CE to 1122CE and as the capital of the Imeretian Kingdom from the 15th century until 1810CE. Meanwhile, Mtskheta is most widely known as the capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia and the place where Georgia adopted Christianity in 326CE.
11. It is home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities
The Georgian Jewish community was one of the oldest communities in the country. It is worth noting that Georgian Jews have 2,600 years of history, whereas Ashkenazi Jews emigrated to Georgia in the 19th century following Russian annexation. Currently, as a result of a major wave of emigration in the 1990s, a large majority of Georgian Jews now reside in Israel.
12. The name Tbilisi derives from the old Georgian word for “warm”
The name of the country’s current capital, Tbilisi, is largely derived from an old Georgian word –tbili – for “warm”. The city foundation myth notes that when King Vakhtang I of Iberia’s falcon fell into a natural hot spring during a hunt, he was so impressed by the find that he cleared the forest and built the city of Tbilisi on that exact spot.
13. It is an undiscovered heliskiing destination
Abundant powder, spectacular views and wide open slopes make Georgia’s ski resort, Gudauri, an excellent destination for heliskiing enthusiasts. Gudauri is an up-and-coming ski destination with all the benefits, yet without the crowds of other European resorts. Don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself an adrenaline junkie, Gudauri still offers great slopes for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
Healthy relationships are a vital component of health and wellbeing. There is compelling evidence that strong relationships contribute to a long, healthy, and happy life. Conversely, the health risks from being alone or isolated in one’s life are comparable to the risks associated with cigarette smoking, blood pressure, and obesity.
Research shows that healthy relationships can help you:
Live longer
A review of 148 studies found that people with strong social relationships are 50% less likely to die prematurely. Similarly, Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones research calculates that committing to a life partner can add 3 years to life expectancy (Researchers Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler have found that men’s life expectancy benefits from marriage more than women’s do.)
Deal with stress
The support offered by a caring friend can provide a buffer against the effects of stress. In a study of over 100 people, researchers found that people who completed a stressful task experienced a faster recovery when they were reminded of people with whom they had strong relationships. (Those who were reminded of stressful relationships, on the other hand, experienced even more stress and higher blood pressure.)
Be healthier
Research indicates that strong relationships contribute to health at any age. According to research by psychologist Sheldon Cohen, college students who reported having strong relationships were half as likely to catch a common cold when exposed to the virus, while an AARP study with older adults found that loneliness is a significant predictor of poor health. More generally, a 2012 international Gallup poll found that people who feel they have friends and family to count on are generally more satisfied with their personal health than people who feel isolated.
Moreover, hanging out with healthy people increases your own likelihood of health—in their book Connected, Christakis and Fowler show that non-obese people are more likely to have non-obese friends because healthy habits spread through our social networks.
Feel richer
A survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research of 5,000 people found that doubling your group of friends has the same effect on your wellbeing as a 50% increase in income!
Parents, teachers, and other caregivers play a critical role in helping children cope with crises, often ignoring their own needs in the process. However, caregivers must take good care of themselves so they are able to take good care of the children in their charge.
A natural instinct for parents and other caregiving adults is to put their personal needs aside in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in their care. It is extremely important, though, for caregivers to monitor their own reactions and take care of their own needs because failure to do so can result in stress and burnout. This is particularly true for crisis situations in which normal support systems and routines have been severely disrupted and for which recovery will take a long time.
Burnout interferes with one’s ability to provide crisis support and intervention assistance. This can be true in the aftermath of an immediate crisis like a natural disaster or terrorist attack as well as during extended periods of stress and anxiety-like war.
In addition to burnout, caregivers also may experience secondary trauma or stress that results from learning about another’s a traumatic experience and/or helping someone who has been directly affected by such tragedy.
While any caregiver may exhibit signs and symptoms of stress and secondary trauma, caregivers who have their own histories of prior psychological trauma, loss, and grief, mental illness (including substance abuse), or who lack social and family resources will be more vulnerable to these issues.
Some reactions are commonly experienced by caregivers after a crisis; however, others may warrant professional support or monitoring. These include:
Cognitive reactions such as an inability to stop thinking about the crisis, loss of objectivity, an inability to make decisions, and/or express oneself verbally or in writing.
Physical reactions such as chronic fatigue and exhaustion, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and other aches and pains, loss of appetite, or difficulty sleeping.
Emotional reactions such as excessive worry or anxiety, numbing, irritability, anger or rage, distressing thoughts or dreams, and/or suicidal thoughts and/or severe depression.
Behavioral/Social reactions such as alcohol and substance abuse, withdrawal from contact with loved ones, or an inability to complete or return to normal job responsibilities.
All caregivers need to consider the following suggestions to prevent burnout:
Physical self-care: Maintain healthy eating habits and drink plenty of water; limit the use of alcohol or other substances; get adequate sleep.
Emotional Self-care: Know your limitations; recognize that your reactions are normal and occur frequently among caregivers, including many well-trained crisis professionals.
Social care and connection: Maintain normal daily routines; connect with trusted friends or family; connect with systemic supports such as your faith and school communities; process or debrief the events at the end of each day with other caregivers or colleagues. This is especially important for crisis responders.
Adequate support resources: Acknowledge that you and your family may need additional help. Access crisis support resources provided by community and volunteer services, including social-emotional and mental health supports.
Systems/Procedural Care: Advocate for and set limits on the number of consecutive responses; promote policies that allow for crisis responders to step away from a response if the crisis hits too close to home; ensure that crisis team leaders establish a supportive atmosphere of self-care.
Parents and other caregivers can guide children to develop lifestyle habits that will support their good health for years to come. We know that as a parent or caregiver you may not have all the answers. Like many Americans, you may even struggle to develop and stick with healthy habits of your own. One way to win this double struggle is to practice healthy lifestyle habits—together!
Consuming healthful foods and beverages, doing regular physical activity, getting adequate sleep, and other factors may help children to
As a parent or caregiver, you play a big part in shaping children’s eating and drinking habits. When you make it a habit to consume foods and beverages that are low in added sugars, saturated fat, and salt and are high in fiber, the children you care for may learn to like these foods as well. If a child you are caring for does not like a new food right away, don’t be upset. Children often need to see a new food many times before they will try it.
Be a role model. As a parent or caregiver, you also have an effect on children’s physical activity. You do not need to be an expert at any activity. Just get up, move, and show children how much fun being active can be. They may grow to like it too. You can set a good example by going for a walk or riding a bike instead of watching TV, playing a video game, or surfing the internet. Find an activity that you enjoy and can do together.
Talk about being healthy. As you learn more about how to improve your health, take the time to talk to your children about how a certain food or physical activity may help them. For example, when going for a walk, bring your children with you and let them pick the route. Discuss how walking helps you feel better and is a fun way to spend time together.
Use your children’s food and beverage choices as teaching moments. Speak up when you see unhealthy choices. Direct children to healthier options or say, “You can have a little of that, but not too much.” Talk to them about why an overly salty or heavily sugared snack is not the best choice. Avoid making them feel guilty about their food or beverage choices. You can also praise your children when they choose a healthy item like fruit.
Use comments like these
“Great choice!”
“You’re giving your body what it needs with that snack!”
“I like those, too.”
Children often need to see a new food many times before they will try it.
With physical activity, try upbeat phrases like these to keep your child excited
“You run so fast, I can hardly keep up!”
“You are building a strong, healthy heart!”
“Let’s walk 10 more minutes to make us stronger.”
Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can improve your child’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Not getting enough sleep may lead to many health issues, including obesity. Find out how many sleep hours experts recommend for your child, depending on his or her age.
Believe in the power to change. Know that eating healthy and moving more are the building blocks to better health. Work together to form healthy habits.
Promote good health beyond your family. Other adults may play a role in your child’s life, too. You can share ideas about healthy habits with them. For instance, many parents and caregivers work outside the home and need others to help with childcare. Family members, daycare providers, babysitters, or friends may shape your child’s health habits. Talk to them to make sure they offer healthy meals, snacks, and drinks. Check that caregivers are also providing plenty of active playtimes and limiting inactive time spent with TV, video games, or other devices.
If your child is in school, you can help promote healthy habits in several other ways
Find out more about the school’s breakfast and lunch programs.
Find out about the school’s physical education program, and look for opportunities to be active during the school day.
Make sure your child’s caregivers offer healthy snacks and meals.Consider other influences. Just as they do for you, your children’s friends and the media can also affect healthy choices.
Some TV, online, and other ads try to persuade children to consume high-fat foods and sugary drinks. You can help your children be aware of these pressures. Speak with your children about choices while you watch TV, surf the internet, or go to the movies with them. Talk about how media outlets and influencers sell products or convey values through famous athletes, child celebrities, cartoon and action figures, and made-up images. Use programs and ads to spark chats about your values. These talks may help your child make healthy choices outside the home.
Healthy Eating
What should my child eat and drink?
Just like adults, children need to consume foods and beverages that are packed with nutrients. Also, like adults, children should consume just enough calories to fuel their daily living and activities. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest balancing calories you consume with physical activity. The guidelines also recommend improving eating habits to promote health, reduce the risk of disease, and reduce overweight and obesity. Americans ages 2 years and older are encouraged to consume a variety of healthy foods and beverages. Suggested items include
fruits, vegetables, unsalted nuts and seeds (please make sure your child can tolerate these foods and isn’t allergic to them), and whole grains
fat-free or low-fat dairy products, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified non-dairy beverages
a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), nuts, seeds, and soy products
Added sugars, solid fats, and salt often occur in pizzas, chips, crackers, sodas, sugar-sweetened drinks, desserts like cookies or cake, and fast foods. If children and teens consume these foods and beverages, these items should be limited to a healthy eating plan.
Another step is to make sure your children have breakfast to spark the energy they need to focus in school. Some studies suggest that eating breakfast regularly may decrease children’s chances of developing obesity.1Make sure your children eat a healthy breakfast to spark the energy they need to focus in school.
How can I help my child eat better?
Use less fat, salt, and sugar. Here are some ideas to help you and your child follow a healthy eating plan
Cook with fewer solid fats. Use olive or canola oil instead of butter or margarine. Bake or roast foods instead of frying. You can get a crunchy texture with “oven-frying” recipes that involve little or no oil.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Keep the salt shaker off the table. Have cut-up fruits and vegetables on hand for snacks instead of salty snacks like chips or crackers.
Limit the amount of sugar your child eats. Choose hot or cold cereals with no added sugar or low sugar.
Fill half of your child’s plate with fruits and vegetables.
Half of your child’s meals should be vegetables and/or fruit. Learn more at
ChooseMyPlate.gov.Serve nutrient-rich foods and beverages. Many foods and beverages are particularly rich in key nutrients and vitamins—such as potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and dietary fiber—that are important to your children’s health and development. Here are some ideas for boosting your children’s intake of these nutrients
Offer more fruit for breakfast, snacks, and desserts. Add dark green, red, and orange vegetables to stews and soups. Add beans (black, kidney, pinto), peas, and lentils to casseroles and salads. For meal planning ideas and healthy recipes, see Nutrition.gov.
Serve more low-fat milk and milk products. If your child cannot digest much lactose, called lactose intolerance, serve lactose-free milk, cheese, or yogurt. (Lactose is the sugar in milk that may cause some people to stomach pain and bloating when they drink milk or eat milk products.) Your child can also try non-dairy drinks, such as soy, almond, or rice drinks enriched with calcium or vitamin D.
Serve fresh, frozen, or canned salmon, shrimp, and light tuna (not albacore). For young children, you may serve safe types of seafood(PDF, 378.44 KB) 1–2 times a week in child-sized portions, starting with 1-ounce portions at age 2.2
Replace the refined grains (bread, pasta, rice) your child eats with whole grains. Eat more bran. Check Nutrition Facts labels to find products high in dietary fiber. Look at the ingredients list to be sure that whole grains are one of the first items.
Greens, colorful vegetables, beans, seafood, whole grains, and dairy products give your child important nutrients.Think about the drink.
Serve more water.
Offer low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
Offer fresh fruit, which has more fiber than juice. If serving juice, offer small portions of 100% fruit juice.
Offer healthy snacks. Along with their meals, snacks can help children get enough nutrients to help them stay healthy. Buy or prepare single-serving snacks for younger children to help them get just enough to satisfy their hunger. Visit the children’s section of ChooseMyPlate to help you and your kids select a satisfying snack.
Try to keep healthy food in the house for snacks and meals for the whole family. Offer such snacks as
sliced apples, oranges, pears, and carrots
whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, favorite spread, or roasted veggies
fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables
Keep two more things in mind when choosing healthy snacks.
Read Nutrition Facts labels to choose the appropriate serving size. Remember that the serving size on nutrition labels applies to adults’ dietary needs and is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. So, the right serving size for most children will probably be smaller than what is on the package, depending on the child’s age, size, and activity level. Visit the parents’ section of Nutrition Facts Label: Read the Label Youth Outreach Materials to find tools for helping your children make healthy food choices and understand how to read the Nutrition Facts label on food packages.
Children of preschool age and younger can easily choke on foods. Be careful with foods that may be hard to chew, small and round, or sticky. Examples are hard vegetables, whole grapes, hard chunks of cheese, raisins, nuts and seeds, and popcorn. Select snacks with care for children in this age group.
Share food time together. The keyword is “together.”
Plan to have sit-down meals with your children, and serve everyone the same thing.
Involve your children in planning and preparing meals. Children may be more willing to eat the dishes they help prepare.
Try to limit how much food or beverages your child consumes on the go and away from home. That will help you control the calories, sugar, and fat your children consume. To serve more homemade meals, cook large batches of soup, stew, or casseroles and freeze them as a time saver. For handy tips on quick and easy homemade meals, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Limit eating at home to specific areas such as the kitchen or dining room—not in front of a TV or while using another electronic screen.
Involve your child in planning and preparing meals.
Physical Activity
How does physical activity help my child?
Experts(PDF, 13.8 MB) suggest that preschool-age children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day to help them grow and develop. As a parent or caregiver, you play a big role in helping kids get up and get moving.
If you are caring for preschoolers, try to make sure they get about 3 hours of physical activities each day. Those activities could be light, moderate, or vigorous in intensity. If you are caring for school-age children (ages 6 through 17 years), try to get them to do at least 1 hour of physical activity each day. Experts suggest activities that are moderately or vigorously intense. Bicycling, jumping rope, and playing basketball or soccer are some ways for children to be active.
Try to get school-age children to do at least 1 hour of physical activity each day.
How can I help my child be more active?
There are many ways you can help.
As you work to develop a physical activity routine, you can be a role model for your children. If they see you being physically active and having fun, they might grow to like it and stick with it.
Involve the whole family in activities like dancing or playing a favorite sport.
Focus on fun. You can do a lot of walking during trips to the zoo or park.
Include children in family activities like walking the dog, washing the car, or cleaning the house.
Sign up your children for after-school programs or lessons in an activity or sport they enjoy, if they’re available and you can afford it.
Team up with your children to play sports or dance video games that get everyone moving.
Share tips with your children about how to be physically active throughout the day.
Consider using an interactive online tool to find ways to help your children get more physical activity.
A powerful example for your child is to be active yourself.Reduce inactive screen time. Sitting for hours at a time, while using computers, hand-held devices, music players, or TVs, may reduce your child’s active playtime.
Pediatricians suggest limiting the time children use digital media outside of homework time. Between ages 2 and 5, allow your children no more than 1 hour of screen time. For children ages 6 and older, set consistent limits on media time. That will help you be sure they have enough time for physical activity, play, sleep, and other healthy behaviors.3,4
Try these tips to reduce your child’s screen time
Do not use screen time to reward your child.
Set up a family game night and turn off all the screens in your home.
Eat meals together with no media use. Do not eat in front of a screen.
Limit time in front of the TV or other devices and remove them from your child’s bedroom.
Designate media-free places in your home, such as bedrooms.3,4
What should I do if my child is overweight or has obesity?
Children who are overweight are more likely to become adults who are overweight. These children may develop high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems. Weight problems may also lead to stress, sadness, and low self-esteem in children. Because children grow at different rates at different times, it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. For example, it is normal for boys to have a growth spurt in weight and catch up in height later.
Ask your health care professional to measure your children and tell you if they are in a healthy range for their age and gender. You can also calculate your child’s body mass index (BMI), then discuss any concerns with your child’s health care professional. BMI is a measure of body fat calculated from weight and height. If your provider tells you that your child weighs more than he or she should, there are ways you can help your child who is struggling with his or her weight.
How can I help my child with his or her weight?
Here are some dos and don’ts.
Accept and love your child at any weight. Doing so will boost self-esteem.
Involve the whole family in following healthy habits, even if other family members are not overweight.
Focus on healthy eating, regular physical activity, and adequate sleep, rather than a number on the scale.
Help your child find ways other than food or beverages to handle setbacks or mark successes.
Talk with your health care professional to get trusted advice about addressing your child’s health habits and weight. The internet is full of misinformation that may be hard to distinguish from good advice.
Remember, you play the biggest role in your children’s lives. You can help your children learn healthy eating, physical activity, and other habits to follow for the rest of their lives.
As a family caregiver, you face many new responsibilities. Here’s how to find support, overcome challenges, and make caregiving more rewarding for both you and the person you’re caring for.
What is family caregiving?
As life expectancies increase, medical treatments advance, and increasing numbers of people live with chronic illness and disabilities, more and more of us find ourselves caring for a loved one at home. Whether you’re taking care of an aging parent, a handicapped spouse, or looking after a child with a physical or mental illness, providing care for a family member in need is an act of kindness, love, and loyalty. Day after day, you gift your loved one your care and attention, improving their quality of life, even if they’re unable to express their gratitude.
Regardless of your particular circumstances, being a family caregiver is a challenging role and likely one that you haven’t been trained to undertake. And like many family caregivers, you probably never anticipated this situation. However, you don’t have to be a nursing expert, a superhero, or a saint in order to be a good family caregiver. With the right help and support, you can provide loving, effective care without having to sacrifice yourself in the process. And that can make family caregiving a more rewarding experience—for both you and your loved one.
New to family caregiving?
Learn as much as you can about your family member’s illness or disability and how to care for it. The more you know, the less anxiety you’ll feel about your new role and the more effective you’ll be.
Seek out other caregivers. It helps to know you’re not alone. It’s comforting to give and receive support from others who understand exactly what you’re going through.
Trust your instincts. Remember, you know your family member best. Don’t ignore what doctors and specialists tell you, but listen to your gut, too.
Encourage your loved one’s independence. Caregiving does not mean doing everything for your loved one. Be open to technologies and strategies that allow your family member to remain as independent as possible.
Know your limits. Be realistic about how much of your time and yourself you can give. Set clear limits, and communicate those limits to doctors, family members, and other people involved.
Family caregiving tip 1: Accept your feelings
Caregiving can trigger a host of difficult emotions, including anger, fear, resentment, guilt, helplessness, and grief. It’s important to acknowledge and accept what you’re feeling, both good and bad. Don’t beat yourself up over your doubts and misgivings. Having these feelings doesn’t mean that you don’t love your family member—they simply mean you’re human.
What you may feel about being a family caregiver
Anxietyand worry. You may worry about how you’ll handle the additional responsibilities of caregiving or what how your family member will cope if something happens to you. You may also stress about the future and how your loved one’s illness will progress.
Anger or resentment. You may feel angry or resentful toward the person you’re caring for, even though you know it’s irrational. Or you might be angry at the world in general, or resentful of other friends or family members who don’t have your responsibilities.
Guilt. You may feel guilty for not doing more, being a “better” caregiver, having more patience, or accepting your situation with more equanimity. In the case of long distance caregiving, you may feel guilty about not being available more often.
Grief. There are many losses that can come with caregiving (the healthy future you envisioned with your spouse or child or the goals and dreams you’ve had to set aside, for example). If the person you’re caring for is terminally ill, you’re also dealing with that grief.
Even when you understand why you’re feeling the way you do, it can still be upsetting. In order to deal with your feelings, it’s important to talk about them. Don’t keep your emotions bottled up. Find at least one person you trust to confide in, someone who’ll listen to you without interruption or judgment.
Tip 2: Find caregiver support
Even if you’re the primary family caregiver, you can’t do everything on your own. This is especially true if you’re caregiving from a distance (more than an hour’s drive from your family member). You’ll need help from friends, siblings, and other family members, as well as from health professionals. If you don’t get the support you need, you’ll quickly burn out—which will compromise your ability to provide care.
But before you can ask for help, you need to have a clear understanding of your family member’s needs. Take some time to list all the caregiving tasks required, making it as specific as possible. Then determine which activities you’re able to perform (be realistic about your capabilities and the time you have available). The remaining tasks on the list are the ones you’ll need to ask others to help you with.
Asking family and friends for help
It’s not always easy to ask for help, even when you desperately need it. Perhaps you’re afraid to impose on others or worried that your request will be resented or rejected. But if you simply make your needs known, you may be pleasantly surprised by the willingness of others to pitch in. Many times, friends and family members want to help, but don’t know how. Make it easier for them by:
Setting aside one-on-one time to talk to the person.
Going over the list of caregiving needs you’ve drawn up.
Pointing out areas in which they might be of service (maybe your brother is good at Internet research, or your friend is a financial whiz).
Asking the person if they’d like to help, and if so, in what way.
Making sure the person understands what would be most helpful for both you and the caregiving recipient.
Other places you can turn for caregiver support include:
Organizations specific to your family member’s illness or disability.
Tip 3: Really connect with your loved one
Pablo Casals, the world-renowned cellist, said, “The capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” When handled in the right way, caring for a loved one can bring meaning and pleasure—to both you, the caregiver, and to the person you’re caring for. Staying calm and relaxed and taking the time each day to really connect with the person you’re caring for can release hormones that boost your mood, reduce stress, and trigger biological changes that improve your physical health. And it has the same effect on your loved one, too.
Even if the person you’re caring for can no longer communicate verbally, it’s important to take a short time each day to focus fully on him or her. Avoid all distractions—such as the TV, cell phone, and computer—make eye contact (if that’s possible), hold the person’s hand or stroke their cheek, and talk in a calm, reassuring tone of voice. When you connect in this way, you’ll experience a process that lowers stress and supports physical and emotional well-being—for both of you—and you’ll experience the “deepest significance” that Casals talks about.
Tip 4: Attend to your own needs
If you’re distracted, burned out, or otherwise overwhelmed by the daily grind of caregiving, you’ll likely find it difficult to connect with the person you’re caring for. That’s why it’s vital that you don’t forget about your own needs while you’re looking after your loved one. Caregivers need care, too.
Emotional needs of family caregivers
Take time to relax daily, and learn how to regulate yourself and de-stress when you start to feel overwhelmed. As explained above, one way to achieve this is to really connect with the person you’re caring for. If that isn’t possible, employ your senses to effectively relieve stress in the moment, and return to a balanced state.
Talk with someone to make sense of your situation and your feelings about it. There’s no better way of relieving stress than spending time face-to-face with someone who cares about you.
Keep a journal. Some people find it helpful to write down their thoughts and feelings to help them see things more clearly.
Feed your spirit. Pray, meditate, or do another activity that makes you feel part of something greater. Try to find meaning in both your life and in your role as a caregiver.
Watch out for signs of depression, anxiety, or burnout and seek professional help if needed.
Social and recreational needs of family caregivers
Stay social. Make it a priority to visit regularly with other people. Nurture your close relationships. Don’t let yourself become isolated.
Do things you enjoy.Laughter and joy can help keep you going when you face trials, stress, and pain.
Maintain balance in your life. Don’t give up activities that are important to you, such as your work or hobbies.
Give yourself a break. Take regular breaks from caregiving, and give yourself an extended break at least once a week.
Find a community. Join or reestablish your connection to a religious group, social club, or civic organization. The broader your support network, the better.
Physical needs of family caregivers
Exercise regularly. Try to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and boost your energy. So, try to get moving, even if you’re tired.
Eat right. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress and get through busy days. Keep your energy up and your mind clear by eating nutritious meals at regular intervals throughout the day.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. It can be tempting to turn to substances for escape when life feels overwhelming, but they can easily compromise the quality of your caregiving. Instead, try dealing with problems head on and with a clear mind.
Get enough sleep. Aim for an average of eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep every night. Otherwise, your energy level, productivity, and ability to handle stress will suffer.
Keep up with your own health care. Go to the doctor and dentist on schedule, and keep up with your own prescriptions or medical therapy. As a caregiver, you need to stay as strong and healthy as possible.
Tip 5: Take advantage of community services
Most communities have services to help caregivers. Depending on where you live, the cost may be based on your ability to pay or covered by the care receiver’s insurance or your health service. Services that may be available in your community include adult day care centers, home health aides, home-delivered meals, respite care, transportation services, and skilled nursing.
Caregiver services in your community. Call your local senior center, county information and referral service, family services, or hospital social work unit for contact suggestions. Advocacy groups for your loved one’s illness or disability may also be able to recommend local services. In the U.S., contact your local Area Agency on Aging for help with caring for older family members.
Caregiver support for veterans. If your care recipient is a veteran, they may be eligible for additional support services. In the U.S., for example, home health care coverage, financial support, nursing home care, and adult day care benefits are often available.
Your family member’s affiliations. Fraternal organizations such as the Elks, Eagles, or Moose lodges may offer some assistance if your loved one is a longtime dues-paying member. This help may take the form of phone check-ins, home visits, or transportation.
Community transportation services. Many communities offer free or low-cost transportation services for trips to and from medical appointments, day care, senior centers, and shopping malls.
Adult day care. If your senior loved one is well enough, consider the possibility of adult day care. An adult day care center can provide you with needed breaks during the day or week, and your loved one with some valuable diversions and activities.
Personal care services. Help with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, feeding, or meal preparation may be provided by home care aides, hired companions, certified nurse’s aides, or home health aides. Home care help might also provide limited assistance with tasks such as taking blood pressure or offering medication reminders.
Health care services. Some health care services can be provided at home by trained professionals such as physical or occupational therapists, social workers, or home health nurses. Check with your insurance or health service to see what kind of coverage is available. Hospice care can also be provided at home.
Meal programs. Your loved one may be eligible to have hot meals delivered at home by a Meals on Wheels program. Religious and other local organizations sometimes offer free lunches and companionship for the sick and elderly.
Tip 6: Provide long-distance care
Many people take on the role of designated caregiver for a family member—often an older relative or sibling—while living more than an hour’s travel away. Trying to manage a loved one’s care from a distance can add to feelings of guilt and anxiety and present many other obstacles. But there are steps you can take to prepare for caregiving emergencies and ease the burden of responsibility.
Set up an alarm system for your loved one. Because of the distance between you, you won’t be able to respond in time to a life-threatening emergency, so subscribe to an electronic alert system. Your loved one wears the small device and can use it to summon immediate help.
Manage doctor and medical appointments. Try to schedule all medical appointments together, at a time when you’ll be in the area. Make the time to get to know your loved one’s doctors and arrange to be kept up-to-date on all medical issues via the phone when you’re not in the area. Your relative may need to sign a privacy release to enable their doctors to do this.
Use a case manager. Some hospitals or insurance plans can assign case managers to coordinate your loved one’s care, monitor their progress, manage billing, and communicate with the family.
Investigate local services. When you’re not there, try to find local services that can offer home help services, deliver meals, or provide local transportation for your loved one. A geriatric care manager can offer a variety of services to long-distance caregivers, including providing and monitoring in-home help for your relative.
Schedule regular communication with your loved one. A daily email, text message, or quick phone call can let your relative know that they’re not forgotten and give you peace of mind.
Arrange telephone check-ins from a local religious group, senior center, or other public or nonprofit organization. These services offer prescheduled calls to homebound older adults to reduce their isolation and monitor their well-being.
Our world has changed drastically from what we knew as “normal.” The Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID19 in short form, has created a new normal for many of us these days. We all feel the impact of the pandemic, but for parents and caregivers, it can be even more difficult.
In the past weeks, we’ve learned new terms like social distancing, self-quarantine and flattening the curve as ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Schools are closed in numerous regions presenting daycare issues for many, and a new homeschooling environment is becoming the norm. Others may be facing different work arrangements, or no work at all. Some may have been in contact with a person who tested positive for the virus and are now refraining from any contact with others for two weeks or longer.
First, parents and other caregivers are facing their own anxiety in this rapidly changing situation. Parents know that the single most important factor in how your child reacts is how you handle these challenging times. As you have these difficult conversations with your child, it is not only what you say, but how you say it. Stay calm, reassuring and age-appropriately honest with them about the disease and the new normal that it has created.
Tips for families
It is natural for parents to be stressed and uncertain about the future. Here are some tips to help support families during this crisis.
Routines. Having a routine is good for you. Even if work and school schedules have changed, it doesn’t mean your day can’t have a sense of normalcy to it. Get up at the same time in the mornings and get ready for your day as you normally would. Create a schedule for the family of school or work time. You may want to include chores, homework, play activities, screen time, and bedtime. Consider adding some family game time or family exercise. A well-paced and thoughtful routine can be reassuring and comforting to children at any age.
Be informed. Be sure to stay up to date about the latest on the outbreak, as well as additional recommendations from local public health authorities. Websites like the Rhode Island Department of Health and the CDC are excellent sources.
Stay connected. Physical distancing is crucial right now in order to reduce the spread. But that doesn’t mean we need to lose contact with family and friends. We are so fortunate that we live in such a connected world. Technology affords us a way to contact educators, classmates and colleagues. Remember, your children likely miss their school peers; friends and neighbors are just a phone call or social media post away. This may be a time to relax family limits on phone and screen time, maybe just a little!
Limit exposure. While technology gives us a way to stay connected, it can also be overwhelming. Be sure you minimize your exposure to media outlets and avoid sites that may promote fear or panic. Some websites are notorious for providing false or distorted information. Remind your child that everything they see on television or social media may not be the truth or the whole truth.
Keep talking. Your children will naturally have questions, and by staying up to date on the information, you can keep open lines of communication and answer their questions frankly and honestly as appropriate for their age level. For more information on talking to your children about coronavirus.
Consider contributing to the community. Many find that the best way to feel better themselves is to focus on the needs of others. As a family you many want to discuss ways that you or your child can contribute to the community. For example, children may want to send notes of support to their peers or thanks to first responders or healthcare personnel.
Find support. Remember, these are trying times and we all need to stay aware of our own physical and mental health. Stay close to personal sources of strength such as loved ones, family traditions and beliefs.
Signs you need additional support
Here are some signs that may indicate that it is time for you to reach out for additional support for yourself or a loved one.
expressing excessive anger, anxiety, worry or sadness
significant changes in eating or sleeping patterns
hyper-vigilance to one’s health or body
feeling helpless
difficulty concentrating or attending
talking about or hurting self or others
Ask for help. Help is only a phone call away.
For support for a child or adolescent Rhode Island resident, contact your primary care physician or Kids’ Link RI emotional crisis hotline at 1-855-543-5465.
For additional resources, you can speak to a trained counselor at SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting TalkWithUS 66746.
You can also contact your physician or your insurance company if they have a consultation line to ask health-related questions or to seek mental health support.
More resources for parents and caregivers are available at the following websites:
Ethiopia, Malawi and Rwanda —education cards spread messages addressing parental attitudes and early childhood learning. They can be shared through a variety of platforms including community meetings, ECD centres and community health worker visits.
Zambia and Rwanda — interactive radio instruction reinforces positive parenting practices.
Rwanda and Ethiopia — community members train parents and caregivers on how to engage with their children in learning and play activities during their daily routines.
Primary education
Malawi — interactive radio instruction has been effectively used for students in grades 1 to 4.
Malawi, Rwanda and Ethiopia — community reading activities like reading in groups and discussing stories, reading in pairs where one reader is more skilled than another, borrowing books, and participating in literacy celebrations have shown gains in reading comprehension.
In many countries, the importance of reading outside of school hours has been taken up across national reading programmes; in part seen by the recent shift in USAID-funded reading programmes in Malawi, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Adolescents and Young people
Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda — evidence from a youth programme for out-of-school boys and girls suggests that more strategic and explicit involvement of the family in development programmes for adolescents can determine not only how well they use the skills they learn but also the longer-term sustainability of the livelihoods they eventually select.
Strengthening parental support for learning by reducing barriers to formal schooling like child labour and early marriage, especially for girls whose education is not always prioritized.
Engaging parents, caregivers and communities to support youth’s social and emotional competencies alongside their livelihoods.
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Deal with stress
On the other hand, low social support is linked to a number of health consequences, such as:
In this section:
Parents and caregivers dominate opportunities to contribute to learning
Children spend more time outside school than they do inside it. It is here that 
