In the blink of an eye, your elderly loved ones can go from being independent and self-sufficient to requiring assistance with daily tasks. The aging process is a natural part of life, but watching your elderly family members become more dependent on others can be extremely difficult to handle. For those caring for elderly loved ones, it can be an incredibly challenging time. They will need your support more than ever before.
Depending on their level of independence, you may need to take care of them on a regular basis or just occasionally help them out when they are in a jam. Of course, there are many in-home caregiving jobs and you can always ask professionals for help (and in some instances, it is surely worth using the services of professional caregivers). If you’ve recently taken on the role of caregiver for an elderly loved one, you’ll want to make sure that they’re able to live as comfortably and stress-free as possible. While there are no tricks that will make caring for an elder easy, there are some helpful tips that will allow you to better assist them and make life easier for both of you: If there is need, you can arrange House-call doctor visit for their check-up.
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Visit often
There’s an old saying, an old person is no different than a child. It is somehow true. As we grow we are more sensitive than a young person, our ability to endure something becomes fragile, taking care of their needs become obvious for us because, as they age their physical and mental strength slow down.
It’s similar to your child, like you can’t leave a child alone for a longer time, in the same way you can’t leave an old person alone at home. Even if they live far from you , you still need to visit them often as it’s your responsibility to look after them as they took care of you when you were a child.
It’s important for them to interact with people so they don’t make themselves isolated. It has been seen that especially those who have lost their spouse isolate themselves, and they even suffer from depression or some other mental disease .
Visiting them often will give you assurance that they are not lacking something they need, or that they are safe, healthy and doing very well in their life. you should check around the house what if something needs to be fixed, or anything else related to daily utility.
As your loved one ages, there will likely come a time when they will need your assistance. Be sure to plan for this possibility by having a list of potential care providers on hand. You can find local services like home care workers or assisted living facilities that will be able to help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and cooking.
As your loved one begins to lose mobility and strength, it will be necessary to find wheelchair-accessible vehicles that they can use. It may also be a good idea to have them evaluated for a scooter or other mobility device.
Plan Ahead
You’ll also want to keep a list of your loved one’s medications on hand. It’s best to put this list in a binder and keep it in a safe place where you can easily access it. You’ll also want to keep some extra medication on hand just in case your loved one forgets to take theirs.
Stay Informed
As your loved one ages, it’s important to stay informed about their specific needs and level of independence. You may notice that it takes them longer to finish daily tasks or that they become weaker as the years pass by.
This is completely normal and a sign that your loved one is aging. If you notice that your mom or dad seems to be struggling, you can offer to help them out. This can help ensure that they don’t get injured attempting to do things on their own.
Once your loved one begins to lose the ability to feed themselves, it’s important to learn proper feeding techniques. You’ll also want to make sure that they are eating a healthy diet – this will help them maintain their strength and mobility as long as possible.
Make home modification
- Make sure that you install night lights at each and every corner of the house.
- Installing safety devices like grab bars in the bathroom can be the best choice, these devices allow a person to maintain balance while standing or sitting.
- Elder people mostly lose their eyesight due to several reasons. It is necessary to install bulbs with high wattage that can provide bright light which is good for older one’s to easily recognise things around them.
- What happens sometimes is when we wake up at midnight, we lose the balance of our body and if we have slippery rugs or our bathroom floor remains wet then we may fall , and that can be the reason of our injury, so to avoid such incidents from happening with our elder loved ones we need to replace those items with the new one which has rubber coating on their base that makes it non slippery and also we should look after the bathroom floors to keep it dry all the time to prevent such accidents to happen.
- Elder people have no tolerance for the temperature, whether it is hot or cold, they may fall ill easily if it is unnoticed. So it’s very important to keep the room temperature normal that is suitable for older one’s according to their requirements.
- water temperature checker – Water temperature checker , air temperature checker are all related to the body temperature tolerance of our elder one, so it is necessary to avail the water temperature checker, it becomes easy for them to check and regulate the ideal temperature that suits their body.
- As we age our bones start to become weak and we face joint issues like joint pain , leg pain , which makes it difficult to walk properly for elder people. So installing a wheelchair ramp is the ideal choice, it makes their life easy and they can freely go anywhere near or around the house to enjoy the view or to access anything that they need.
- lowering kitchen counters will help them to grab something easily without using much effort .
- Due to low eyesight, it may be difficult for them to look into the small watches, so replacing it with the new big one, also with a sound system will be good enough.
- Installing sensor lights and cameras – Sensor lights are actually worth spending money on, it is convenient, with improved home security , saves energy. These lights have enormous benefits , so you don’t need to go and turn on the switch to light up your room or house. Second thing that is important from the safety point of view is installing cameras into the house and outside of the house , because it helps you to keep an eye on your elders no matter where you are. you will know if they need anything, or are in any problem , or they are safe or not. These smart appliances are really good if we use them for a good purpose.
- Removing or modifying all the pointy things in the house is necessary, it is not sure that you will always be with your elder to help them, and also you don’t know when they will need something, what if they don’t want to disturb you and try to get their thing by themselves. what if they lose their balance and get hit by something pointy inside the house. To avoid these kinds of situations it’s essential to replace or modify those items with something new with soft edges or modify the old one into something comfortable.
- Equipments to assist them to walk and sit properly and chair that suits them according to their need
A Good Diet
Elderly loved ones don’t need any more calories than they did when they were younger, but they do need more nutrients. This can be difficult because seniors are more sensitive to certain foods.
It’s best to avoid certain foods that can cause gastrointestinal issues. These include spices, red meat, and dairy products.
Instead, opt for foods that are easy to digest and contain plenty of vitamins and minerals – this will help your loved one stay strong and healthy.
Keep in mind that elderly people will likely eat slower than they did when they were younger. Be patient, and allow them extra time to finish each meal.
Avoid giving or check that they don’t eat more salty or sugary food. add more nutrients and fiber riched food like green leafy vegetables, fruits, milk and dry fruits in their diet.
Doctors say that after the age of 25, we lose 1% of collagen from our body each year. Collagen is responsible for firm and youthful skin, so it’s a good idea to add supplements like collagen and protein in their diet.
Make The Bedroom Comfortable
As your loved one gets older, he or she may begin to experience some aches and pains. This can make it difficult for them to get out of bed in the morning. You may also notice that they prefer to sleep for longer hours each day. If you notice that your loved one is having trouble getting out of bed, consider investing in a bed lift. These lifts allow your loved one to sit up in bed without having to actually stand. This can help your loved one avoid injury and make it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
Use tech tools
There are lots of devices that are available in the market, which is useful for tracking fitness and further problems. for instance – Wearable devices, medication monitors, video call applications, wearable sensors. Visit this site to know more about these devices.
Take care of yourself
It usually happens that we forget to take care of ourselves while taking care of others, but don’t forget that it’s you who is responsible for their happiness and safety so it is equally important for you to look after yourself so that you can be available for them too.
Create a safe environment
Safe and healthy environment is really important to create a healthy lifestyle, because our environment plays a big role in our life. Your environment encourages you to do anything in your daily life. so make sure that you create a positive surrounding around you.
Learn and practice mindful communication
Old people are very sensitive to the words you use, so always pay attention to what and how you speak in front of them , don’t use harsh words, don’t get aggressive while talking to them. they can take those words to their heart and can make them sad, which is not good for them. learn and practice mindful communication habits, use positive and encouraging words while talking with them.
Conclusion
It’s never easy to watch a loved one grow older and become increasingly dependent on others. However, you can make the process a bit easier by taking good care of your elder loved ones. You should start by planning ahead to ensure that you have plenty of assistance available to help your parents or grandparents when they need it. You should also stay informed about your loved one’s specific needs and level of independence. Keep their diet healthy and ensure that their bedroom is as comfortable as possible. You can also install safety measures throughout your home to prevent accidents from occurring. This will allow you to better assist your loved one and make life easier for both of you.