Becoming A Caregiver For A Family Member
~ How to Care for Elderly at Home ~
When a relative, family member or friend becomes unwell, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. You are hit with many feelings. It can be then a little harder for you to overcome if you need to become responsible for them in some way and offer them care. Sure, of course, you will only be too happy to help, but how do you keep things simple?
At the end of the day, mostly these people want help, but they still want to try and have a degree of control on their lives. That’s understandable. So I thought that it would be a good idea to share with you some of the ways you can keep things simple, and what to consider if you are caring for someone. Hopefully, if you find yourself in this situation, it will make things easier on everyone.
What to consider when caring for someone else & how to care for elderly at home:
Make things easy when it comes to medication !
When becoming a caregiver for a family member you will find out that the person you are caring for may need a lot of medication and possibly at different times due to the frequency in which they take it.
It can be quite difficult to make trips to the pharmacy too often to go and collect these prescribed medications. You then find that patients don’t tend to stick to the instructions which of course defeats the object. So make things much simpler by considering services like rxoutreach.org/your-compliance-partner/. They can then provide the medication delivered to the door, and make things much easier for everyone involved.
Consider how they are feeling !
If the person you are caring for is very close to you it’s difficult not to become overwhelmed with how you feel about it. But try and consider how they might be feeling.
They may have gone from being able to do many things themselves, to needing help. People can be very proud, and often struggle to ask for help for the most trivial of things. So this step will be just as hard for them as it is for you.
Try and keep things positive, if possible. A negative mindset and atmosphere can make feelings ten times worse. Having a positive nature will help you all get through the tough times, and hopefully on the path to a full recovery.
Make improvements to the home !
Many people are too independent, which means they want to stay in their own surroundings as long as possible.This is where you may need to look at the home and consider making changes to make things easier.
It might mean , make a bedroom up downstairs to avoid having to climb the stairs at night.It might mean adding a stairway chair lift to make heading up to the next floor easier. If mobility has become more difficult, then the addition of handrail fittings will help aid that person around their home.There are plenty of sites like http://www.mobilitysolutions.co.uk, who could help you out.
Shape the future and discuss it !
As we’re all getting older, sooner or later most of us will have to deal with becoming a caregiver for a family member. I have cared for older family members over a longer period, while I had no idea about how to care for elderly at home. It is not the easiest task, it can even be pretty tough at times. But I am sure, with a little love and understanding, you will be a great caregiver. I think it’s a good motivation to bear in mind, that one day WE might need the loving care of a relative, family member or friend.
Finally, it is always worth considering the future. That person may not be able to stay at home and be in your care forever. So now is the time to discuss all options, so everyone knows where they stand.
I hope this helps you if you find yourself caring for someone in the future.
My mother stayed with us for a month when my father got knee surgery, this was not long after she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was one of the most stressful months of my life, by the end I totally lost it & had to send her to stay with my parent’s friends until dad was well enough to go home and I struggled with guilt surrounding my behavior for months/years afterwards. The truth was that mum needed much more care than I could provide, I had two very young children at the time and nobody was addressing the problem, everyone pretending like mum was going to be okay. She’s been in a nursing home now for five years where she is okay, sometimes you can’t do it yourself, no matter how much you want to, and that’s okay. Xx
Aww Katie , I know it is not always that easy. Sometimes it’s not up to ourselves , sometimes we HAVE to get professional help or consider nursing homes. That’s why I have pointed out to considering the future. I think , doing what we can do and giving what we can give , more is not possible.My best wishes for you and your family , thanks a lot for your lovely comment. I do appreciate that !