Tips for Caring for Elderly Relatives
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If you’ve reached a point in life where you may have to begin caring for some of your elderly relatives, it can be difficult to know where to start. However, caring for loved ones can forge a unique bond between you that will last a lifetime.
If you need some essential guidance on caring for elderly relatives, here are 3 tips for offering the best care possible.
Photo by Aswathy N on Unsplash
Be Led By Their Decisions
The best elderly care is always led by what your loved one is most interested in, and their individual desires, as this will help you to build a closer relationship.
In order to help them maintain their independence for as long as possible, you can set up specific tasks that they feel comfortable doing by themselves.
For example, if your family member has difficulty using their hands due to arthritis, but they love to cook, using utensils like anti-slip mats, food processors and plate guards from companies like Arthritis Supplies can be ideal.
They may require in home care at some point, which might mean finding experts providing the home care of philadelphia citizens (or indeed those elsewhere more relevant) with high standards. Home care can be a great way to provide your loved one with the support they need whilst providing them the indepence and comfort of their own home. This is popular with people who wish for their relative to be happy but don’t necessarily trust them to be left alone for their own safety and would rather someone keep an eye on them and give updates on their condition. If this is the case, then you will be pleased to know that some agencies have a caregiver app that can connect carers and families together so that they are able to see the progress of their relative and support them along the way.
Get a New Bed
Depending on your loved one’s needs, you may need to stay over frequently, or every once in a while to support them.
If this is a possibility for you, you might want to consider investing in a new bed so you can relax at the end of a busy day.
Alternatively, your family member may also need a new bed to accommodate any aches and pains, and to ensure that they can also have a comfortable night’s sleep.
Sleep specialists like Archers Sleep Centre are a team with fantastic experience at finding the right bed for every person’s individual sleeping habits. Whether you need a softer bed, orthopaedic support or a bed frame with extra storage, Archers have something for everyone.
Create a Routine
For relatives that may be heavily dependent on you, having a routine can be beneficial at providing some reassurance and security.
To do this, you could use a whiteboard to create a weekly or day-to-day timetable with planned events and list your tasks for the week. These tasks may include everything from the hobbies they enjoy – say, for instance, your mother may join a knitting club every Wednesday, or it may include more essential activities, like doctor’s appointments and food shopping. Scheduling these activities at the same times each week may help your loved one feel reassured; just ensure, in the case of the latter, that your loved one is still prioritising their health when shopping for food and drinks. It might be beneficial in this case to keep in mind the brain food connection to ensure they are purchasing items that will keep their mind and body working well.
Additionally, using a whiteboard to organise the layout of the week will help you to organise your own social life and commitments around caring responsibilities, especially if you have children or pets to care for. You can find large whiteboards from stationers like Viking for competitive prices and high quality.
Additionally, using a whiteboard to organise the layout of the week will help you to organise your own social life and commitments around caring responsibilities, especially if you have children or pets to care for.
Do you have any tips for caring for elderly relatives? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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