Although caring for an older friend or relative can be one of the most gratifying experiences you’ll ever have, it can also be physically and emotionally exhausting. Ensuring that everything goes well while navigating through previously uncharted waters as an informal family caregiver requires the ability to understand the challenges ahead and how to plan accordingly. What follows are some essential tips to remember when you suddenly find yourself thrust into the role of caring for an aging loved one.
Do Your Research
Learn all you can about your loved one’s illness, condition, or disease by consulting their healthcare providers. What are their anticipated, specific care needs both in the short- and long-term? Get all the information you can from books, pamphlets, and the internet. Are there any specific skills you may need to learn, like how to modify the home for someone with Alzheimer’s?
Form a Caregiving Team
Write down all the specific activities of daily living (ADLs) needs that your loved one has, like bathing, transportation, meals, etc. Once you have your list, discuss ways to meet those needs with the care recipient, family members, friends, and healthcare providers.
It is also essential to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Using a team approach, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of others based on their time and talents – as a failure to do so could result in caregiver burnout.
Utilize Community Resources
Most communities offer services that support care recipients and their families. Start by contacting your local Area Agency on Aging. Look into other resources like adult daycare programs, meal delivery services, paratransit services, and professional home care. You can also contact organizations specific to your loved one’s disease or health condition, for example, the Alzheimer’s Association.
Prioritize Their Immediate Needs
Depending on the immediate needs of your loved one, start recording in a log or journal their eating patterns, medications, and physical signs. While respecting their wishes, adapt the home environment for special needs like a walker, wheelchair, etc.
If other informal caregivers are involved, make a caregiving calendar based on each one’s skills and availability. As the primary caregiver, you’ll also need to formulate a backup plan if something happens to you.
Compile Essential Information
Organize your loved one’s financial information, like bills, loans, bank accounts, and insurance policies. Photocopy important documents, including their social security card, driver’s license, and insurance cards. Write down their doctors’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, along with the medical names of illnesses, medical insurance information, prescription numbers, names, and doses.
Plan Ahead
Educate yourself on the long-term prognosis of your loved one. For instance, if they have a terminal disease, hospice care may be needed in the future. After assessing their finances, speak to a financial advisor who understands long-term care issues.
Talk to an eldercare lawyer about health care proxy, durable power of attorney, and related topics. If you can afford it, work with a geriatric care manager to help organize and facilitate family meetings and define clear expectations.
Practice Self-Care
Most importantly, maintaining your loved one’s quality of life relies on your ability to avoid caregiver burnout. Be sure to take care of yourself by:
- Openly sharing your experiences and feelings with loved ones
- Checking into your employer’s caregiver assistance program, if applicable
- Eating right, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep
- Joining a caregiver support group
- Continuing to do at least one hobby that brings you pleasure
- Taking regular breaks, or “respites,” from caregiving
Customized In-Home Senior Care for Families in Bedford, MA
Finding a trustworthy home care provider for an aging loved one can be frustrating. At Assisting Hands Home Care, our professional in-home senior care services allow clients in Lexington, Bedford, and surrounding communities in the Northwest Boston area to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes. Our trained, dependable caregivers and personal assistants can help your family overcome its eldercare challenges while making your loved one’s home an even better place to be.
Our turnkey home care services include everything from companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, and transportation to light housekeeping, laundry, and personal care assistance with bathing and dressing. Our customized in-home solutions have covered your family from a few hours a day to around-the-clock care. Click here now to learn more about Assisting Hands Home Care or schedule a free consultation for a senior in Bedford, MA
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