Caregiver Tips: Once in a While, It’s Nice to Get a Break from Caring for an Aging Parent, and That’s Where Senior Care Comes into Play

Posted in Break From Caregiving, Caregiver Tips |

July 23, 2021

| by

Caregiver Tips: Millions of people act as family caregivers in the United States each year.

They look after elderly parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, and aunts or uncles, and sometimes even close friends. Even though they want to do this, it is done out of an act of love, it is still necessary to get a break from the caregiving responsibilities. Senior care is a wonderful option to consider when you need some time off, even if it’s just a few hours each week. See below for some caregiver tips to help you get some respite time.

Keep in mind that everyone needs time off. We need weekends, holidays, vacations, and an opportunity to rest our bodies, our minds, and feel renewed.

Senior care is a wonderful option that allows family caregivers, friends, and others who support aging loved ones to have time off, either to exercise, to simply relax, to get a better night’s sleep, or to not have to worry every day about rushing over to this senior’s house before or after work or in the gaps in a quickly narrowing schedule.

 

Home Health Care in Hartford AL: Break from Caring

Home Health Care in Hartford AL: Break from Caring

 

What is the best senior care option available for these family caregivers?

That would be in-home care. A home care aide is a person who can step in and support an aging person in the comfort of their home. Aging in place, as it is referred to, is the most preferred option among elderly men and women who may need some type of assistance.

 

Why might a senior need support?

There could be any number of reasons, including, but not limited to, chronic health issues. As people get older, there is an increased likelihood they may face certain health challenges.

Whether it’s fighting cancer, dealing with Parkinson’s disease, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, or even the loss of strength due to the natural process of aging, seniors may need help with even the most basic tasks of everyday life, either ongoing or temporarily.

This type of help might include assistance getting out of bed. It might include help getting into and out of the shower. The senior might need assistance getting dressed, preparing a meal, or even just getting to a doctor’s appointment once a week or several times a month.

 

Caregiver Tips: When a senior needs significant care throughout the week, the family will need help, too.

The more support and assistance an aging person needs during the week, the more pressure this places on the family caregiver. When that happens, that family member is going to need help, otherwise, they run an increasing risk of burning out, getting frustrated, and wanting to give up.

Yet, that loved one isn’t going to give up on this senior, so before he or she reaches their breaking point, turn to senior care.

Through a home care agency, an individual can hire an aide for just a couple of hours at a time. That could be the nice break a family member needs once a week. But, they also might realize that senior care can help them for more than just once-a-week visits. Use the caregiver tips above to ensure good caregiver health.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Hartford, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

Caregiving: You Moved In to Help Out, But It’s Not Going Well. Now What?

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Caregiving |

June 9, 2021

| by

Caregiving: Family caregivers often look at the benefits of moving in with their parents.

Almost half of all family caregivers live with the person they’re caring for. Does that make caregiving the best choice?

 

Caregiver in Ozark AL: Caregiving

Caregiver in Ozark AL: Caregiving

 

Granted, it’s easier to provide the care if you’re under the same roof.

Plus, older family members’ houses are often paid off, while family caregivers pay a mortgage or rent. If you didn’t have those living expenses, you could cut back on your work hours.

You commit and sell your house. You move in with your parents to help out. A month later, everyone is miserable. You worry that you’ve made a colossal mistake. What do you do when moving in with your parents just isn’t going well?

 

Discuss and Resolve the Conflicts

You’re all adults. It’s time to sit down and discuss where the conflicts are and how to resolve them. Your dad is upset that he doesn’t have the bathroom to himself. He found your teen daughter’s make-up on the counter. You’ll have to remind her to put things back when she’s done.

Your mom is annoyed that you’ve taken over her kitchen. Work with her to make sure she doesn’t feel left out. She’s used to cooking dinner, but now you’re doing it. Let her help. Give her tasks you know she can handle and cook together.

 

Does Your Parent Have Alzheimer’s or Another Form of Dementia?

Personality changes are expected in Alzheimer’s, and it also makes it very difficult to handle. Your mom flies into a rage accusing you of stealing her shoes. After tearing the house apart, you find her shoes in her pajama drawer. She hid them there, but she won’t remember.

When dementia causes paranoid or delusional behaviors, your parent won’t be the same. It would help if you had a backup plan in place. If you find your usually sweet mom is impossible to handle when the rage begins, you may want to hire professional caregivers to help you care for her.

 

Take Breaks When You Can

Everyone needs space for an arrangement like this to work. If your parents need constant assistance, you can still have time alone. Talk to a home care specialist and ask about respite care services.

Respite care is an important part of home care where caregivers go to their client’s home to provide breaks. Your parents have the help they need while you take your kids to the beach. You could use caregivers to have a day off to go shopping with your sister.

Caregivers are the best way to have the breaks you need. You’ll return to your parents’ house refreshed and ready for the next caregiving task on the list.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Ozark, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

Sources:
https://www.aarp.org/content/

5 Reasons To Hire Senior Care Providers After Senior Surgery

Posted in Caregiver in Eufaula AL, Caregiver Tips, Hiring Senior Care Providers |

October 4, 2018

| by

From cataract surgery to getting a broken hip set, there are many reasons why an aging adult might need to get surgery.
Depending on the elderly person’s health and the reason for the surgery, recovery might be fast. However, most surgeries take some time to heal, and elderly adults often need someone around to assist them with daily tasks. Family caregivers should investigate hiring senior care providers to provide in-home care to aging adults that have recently had surgery.

 

Caregiver in Eufaula AL: Senior Care After Surgery

Caregiver in Eufaula AL: Senior Care After Surgery

 

Here are 5 reasons for family caregivers to hire senior care providers after an aging relative has gone through surgery:

 

1. Reminders About Medication: Most doctors will prescribe pain medication to elderly adults to take in the days after the surgery. However, due to fatigue, confusion, and lack of concentration, many elderly adults struggle to take the right medication at the right time. A senior care provider can remind the aging adult when to take their pills and even make notes about it for the family caregiver.

 

2. Grocery Shop and Prepare Meals: Of course, an aging adult recovering from surgery won’t be able to prepare meals for themselves, much less make trips to the grocery store. With a senior care provider, elderly adults can have nutritious meals and snacks while they heal.

 

3. Self-Care: It can be quite hard for elderly adults to take care of themselves while recovering from surgery. Showering or bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting could be serious obstacles for seniors, but a senior care provider is skilled at assisting in each of these areas. In many cases, adaptive devices like shower chairs, grab bars, and more can make it easier for all.

 

4. Housekeeping and Laundry: If elderly adults recovering from surgery cannot take care of themselves, they are certainly in no condition to keep the house clean and do laundry. However, it’s essential for them to be in a clean and comfortable environment. Senior care providers can take care of light housekeeping and laundry when they are giving in-home care.

 

5. Companionship: It’s easy to overlook an elderly person’s mental health during an in-home recovery period. Recovering from surgery can be frustrating, painful and even boring. Seniors are usually quite isolated socially and living with pain can leave them irritable, fatigued or sad. A senior care provider can act as a companion for them and make them feel safe.

Recovery can be extremely challenging for aging adults, and family caregivers may not have the time or resources to be with them all the time. Hiring a professional home care provider means that the aging adult is well-cared for, which increases the chances of healing more quickly.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Eufaula, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

Can Cognitive Functioning Issues Contribute to Inadequate Nutrition?

Posted in Caregiver in Geneva AL, Caregiver Tips, Elderly Care Geneva AL, Home Care in Geneva AL |

March 7, 2018

| by

When considering the impact that cognitive functioning decline can have on your elderly parent, you may immediately think of issues such as memory loss, wandering, and increased difficulty in making decisions or having proper judgment.

 

What you might not immediately think about is the physical effect that cognitive functioning issues can have on your parents. One such physical effect is difficulty getting adequate nutrition on a regular basis. Many elderly adults are at risk for inadequate nutrition and the potentially serious consequences that can result, making it extremely important for you as a family caregiver to not only understand this risk, but the factors that can contribute to it so that you can take the proper steps to protect your parent as they age in place.

 

Home Care in Geneva AL: Senior Nutrition

Home Care in Geneva AL: Senior Nutrition

 

Some of the ways that cognitive functioning issues can contribute to inadequate nutrition for your aging parent include:

-Inability to remember when they last ate, contributing to them not eating as frequently as they should

-No longer understanding that they need to eat or the purpose of eating

-No longer being able to recognize hunger pangs or to understand that eating will relieve those hunger pangs

-Resistance to a variety of foods that can lead to them strictly limiting their diet and only eating a few select foods that do not give them the full range of nutrients that they need

-Inability to read and follow instructions in order to properly prepare foods to be eaten

-Inability to safely use kitchen utensils and implements such as knives or the stove to properly prepare foods to eat

-No longer remembering how to eat properly or how much they should eat

 

Starting elderly care for your aging parent can be an exceptional way for you to help your parent live their highest quality of life possible as they age in place.

An elderly home care services provider can be with your parent when it is best for them to offer a highly personalized set of services designed to address their needs, challenges, and limitations in the ways that are right for them.

Through these services, the care provider can help your parent stay happy, healthy, comfortable, and safe, while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, and independent as possible throughout their later years. These services will be designed with your parent as an individual in mind, shaping the services around their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and personal goals for the most fulfilling quality of life.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Geneva, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

 

Source:

https://www.mayoclinic.org

https://www.huffingtonpost.com

How Can You Start to Assess Your Senior’s Needs?

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Elder Care in Abbeville AL, Senior Health |

December 21, 2017

| by

Determining what your aging adult needs and what it’s going to take in order to help her is a giant task. As her caregiver, you’ll need to break it down into steps that help you to see the whole picture.

 

Elder Care in Abbeville AL: Caregiver Tips

Elder Care in Abbeville AL: Caregiver Tips

Talk with Her Doctor

Setting up a meeting with your aging adult’s doctor can help you to understand exactly what’s going on with her health. Be sure that you ask about the immediate and longer-term future, too. The more information that you have in order to make decisions, the better.

 

What Types of Assistance Are Necessary

Your aging adult may need a variety of different types of assistance ranging from frequent doctor’s appointments to hospital visits, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. It may be time for your aging adult to stop driving, which means that help with transportation could become an issue now. If she’s no longer able to cook for herself, help with meal preparation or meal delivery is vital.

 

Look at Who Can Provide that Assistance

As your senior’s primary family caregiver, it’s possible that the bulk of what your senior needs will fall to you to carry out for her. But you’re only one person and as much as you may want to do everything yourself, that’s just not reasonable. Getting help from other family members, elderly care providers, and friends can help you to ensure that all of the bases get covered.

 

Determine if Home Modifications Are in Order

Depending on the needs your aging adult has, she may need some home modifications to make her home safer or more secure. Doing this properly helps her to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, which is frequently a goal for aging adults.

 

Revisit the Process Periodically

This is a process you’ll need to revisit periodically as your needs change, as your senior’s needs change, and as her health changes. Setting aside time quarterly or even just a couple of times a year can help you to think through what’s changed for your aging adult and to respond accordingly.

Take a deep breath and remember to be good to yourself as you learn to be a caregiver. You’re doing something amazing for your aging adult and need to give yourself time to learn the ropes.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring elder care in Abbeville, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.