The prevalence of aging societies remains a challenge for governments all over the world, as well as law and policymakers, and healthcare providers. It’s not only them who are affected though but their family members too, as they are going to need to care for elderly family members eventually to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible in their old age.
Keeping in good health and remaining comfortable as an older adult is not as easy as it is for people in their younger years as issues such as difficulty walking, problems swallowing, and an increase in the medication they have to take makes it more of a challenge daily. Seeing this, as a caring family member, it’s only natural that you want to provide them with the best care available. As such, this article has been put together to outline some of the best ways that you can effectively care for elderly family members.
Make Sure You Are Making the Most of What’s on The Market
Chances are that any issues your family member may face that pertain to difficulties getting up or problems swallowing have solutions on the market that will be great for making their lives easier. An example of this can be found in Thickening Gel Solution offered by SimplyThick, which can be combined with pureed food and drink to make swallowing easier for people who live with dysphagia. There will be a lot of home solutions for people with certain conditions; it is just a matter of putting in the market research and finding them.
Keep Family at Home if Possible
Granted, there may come a time when your family member needs to move to a more secure facility where they can receive constant care; however, until that period comes, you should try to keep them at home for as long as possible. There are a lot of care providers (if you need external help) who are more than willing to travel to people’s homes to provide care.
The benefits of doing this are that your family members will feel more comfortable if they are surrounded by a familiar setting. In addition, they won’t feel as much like they are being cared for if they’re in their own home because they are used to everything around them, and as such, this is far away from a standard hospital setting.
Help them with Tasks
If you want your elderly family member to remain at home for as long as possible, you may need to help them with certain tasks. Although they might appear able to do the cooking and cleaning, doing it every day or every week could eventually take its toll on them. You may even find that they begin to neglect it over time. Therefore, if you want to ensure that they can maintain as much independence as possible before moving home, make sure to chip in and help them with certain tasks.
This could be cooking an extra meal when you make your own food and dropping it around their house every so often. You could do this for every meal you make at home and then freeze them so that they have a whole week’s worth if you wanted the confirmation that they would be eating well all week.
Alternatively, it could be coming round once a week to ensure that the cleaning is kept on top of. If you don’t have the time, you could always hire a cleaner to do this for them. Having a cleaner come round once a week also gives your elderly family member another person to socialize with.
Helping them out doesn’t even require you to go round to their house necessarily. You may choose to help them do their online shop or run errands for them out and about.
Enable Social Inclusion
You should make an effort to create ample opportunities for your loved one to be able to have an active role in both your family and community. Being bedridden and isolated can take a major toll on an individual’s well-being, so if you allow them to contribute towards something and be an active member in the family dynamic, this will do wonders for their overall mindset. However, if your loved one is left to watch TV as others wait on them hand and foot, it could lead to emotional hardship.
Share the Load with Others
As you start caring for your relative, it is easy to find yourself in a position where you are doing everything for them, and no other family member is helping. To avoid this from happening, you need to ensure that you are sharing the load with others. Set up a group chat and a rota that ensure that load is lightened by sharing it between everyone. One person could help with the cleaning, while another does the shopping. If all family members remember to communicate too, your elderly relative will be well cared for.
