Caring for an elder family member is not an easy thing and is a tough and stressful job. Any elderly family member requires care and attention to ensure that they live healthy lives. In order for you to achieve this, there are several things that need to be done. Here are five tips to caring for an elder family member that will ensure that they are healthy and safe.
Create a comfortable setting
Find out how much care your elder family member needs. To do this, you can make a list of what they need both during the day and night. Will they require supervision or can they manage on their own? If the elder family member lives with you or in a home alone, ensure that you make them comfortable and safe.
Clear the house of any items that might pose a danger to them. Ensure that you have facilities that are safe in the house, for example, you can opt to install walk-in showers with bars for support. Elderly people are very fragile, especially when they are sick. By equipping your home or the house they live in you will lower the chances of accidents.
Ask for help from other family members
Understand how much care is really needed for the elder family member to determine if you can manage. But, if you cannot don’t hesitate from asking for help. Sometimes you might be very busy and not have time to take care of your elder family member. It is not easy to ask for assistance, but it will save you a lot of stress and prevent any potential accidents from happening. Talk to other family members and ask them to help.
Keep track of their medication
Poor medication management can lead to serious medical conditions, especially to an elderly person. Often check their medication to see whether they are taking it correctly, especially if they live on their own. Ensure that they take the right medication, properly prescribed by specialists who are good and trustworthy. The medication should not have any side-effects. Medication such as piracetam will enhance their brain and cognitive functions enabling them to stay healthy.
Frequently visit them
Elderly persons, especially those living alone or in the homes of the elderly need to feel loved and cared for. Visit them every once in a while to check up on them and see how they are fairing. This will also make them feel loved.
Hire an assistant
If you have an elderly family member who lives alone, hire the services of an in-home caregiver to offer you extra help. This reduces the workload and enables you to continue with your daily activities without always worrying if they are okay or not. Alternatively, You can enroll him or her in an adult day program.
Caring for an elderly is not only strenuous in terms of taking care of their well being but it also involves a lot of financial pressure. It can get very expensive and become a financial burden, especially if you have to hire the services of a home caregiver or send them to a home for the elderly. However, there are ways that you can reduce caregiving costs. These include researching government programs that might help pay for caregiving expenses and ways that you can save on drugs and medical bills.
