Caring For Older Adults With Confidence
As we all know, the older we get, the greater our physical limitations. As well, seniors often contend with mental and emotional issues that exacerbate fatigue and stress. So what can you do to ease both the physical and emotional hardships your elderly loved one endures as a caregiver? Needless to say, caring for older adults isn’t easy.
Let’s look into how we can care for older adults with confidence.
Enlist a Little Help When Needed
Don’t be too proud to accept a helping hand. In case it hasn’t already been made clear, caregiving is no easy feat. You’re bound to feel burnt out every now and again. Contact a family member or friend and be honest about the help you need. You can’t be a good caregiver if you’re not taking care of yourself.
“Even though it might seem like finding caregiving help takes too much time and effort, remember that it’s an investment that will pay off in the future,” says DailyCaring.com, “Finding help takes patience, effort, and creative thinking, but it will be worth it when you’re able to decrease your workload, reduce stress, and take regular breaks.”
Stay Up to Date on the Latest Technology
This is a good tip for living life comfortably in today’s modern society. Of course, it’s a pretty good idea to be knowledgeable about the world’s newest innovations in general. However, caring for an older adult during a pandemic means that you have to use such video conference tools as Zoom and Skype to stay in touch with loved ones. In addition, as William A. Haseltine points out on Forbes.com, some medical appointments for your aging parent may need to be done virtually.
“Keep abreast of new technologies that can improve every aspect of care your loved one receives,” he encourages, “These may be as simple as FaceTime appointments with your doctor or as advanced as safety monitoring systems connected to a coordinated care network.”
Be Communicative
Being a good caregiver doesn’t make you a good mind reader. In fact, not making assumptions is a very important facet of giving care to an elderly person. Sure, you may be well aware of your care recipient’s ailments. But it’s important to ask if and when assistance is necessary. You also want to check in on your elderly loved one’s emotional state. Being communicative will best prepare you to offer the appropriate amount and type of care each and every day.
“Never be afraid to just DO or SAY something,” urges HealthInAging.com, “Don’t avoid getting in touch with someone to let them know you’ve heard about their illness. Don’t hesitate because you’re afraid you’re intruding on the person’s privacy. If you have heard about their illness, it is no secret. Never fear calling or sending an email or a card. Show you care in any and every way. You’ll know by their response if it helps.”
At Forward Day, we’re proud that our Shower Bay portable showers have helped caregivers to get their care recipients to bathe in private settings that can still be supervised. If you have any questions about how our Shower Bay portable showers can help the older adult in your life to bathe, please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask them. Give us a call at 1-877-223-8999 or email us at info@showerbay.com.
