This is a great time for those giving home support services to learn one or two things about giving better care to seniors. It’s general knowledge that the greater a person’s disability, the greater their needs. However, some elderly people have said their needs are not met by those who take care of them.
Some seniors, however, also indicated that their needs are met. But, there is evidence that points to the fact that older people simply do not like complaining. However, deep down, most seniors do not have the ultimate care they desire or deserve. There is a huge gap which caregivers have to fill.
To fill these gaps, caregivers have to remember some important things the next time they take care of elderly people. So, what do you have to remember when providing in-home senior care instead of a residential care in a long-term care facility? To be honest, it is quite straightforward.
As well as any obvious health care and personal care, they are the simple things we neglect on a daily basis. They are every human’s basic inner needs; they are just needed more by older people.
The Care Provided For Seniors Should Be Person-Centered
Catering to the unique needs of older people can be a difficult task for those providing the personal care, especially as you have many other things to do. You have kids to take care of. You have your own house to keep in order, and so on. You shouldn’t let your huge to-do list push you to the wall of not giving enough care to someone who deserves it.
Also, you should note that some older people can magnify your small mistakes into very big issues. This kind of situation will only be a time waster for you. It is the little things we do or don’t do that make the biggest difference. As a caregiver, try as much as you can to provide sound care for the older people around you. Focus on being people-centered and not self-centered.
Dignity Is Important
Life gets less fun as people age. Aging occurs to everybody irrespective of status and wealth. Many elderly people you take care of feel sadness, pain, boredom, illness, and loneliness. They can easily lose their dignity to those taking care of them. They know they can’t control anything or anyone.
Now, they have to listen to you and take your orders even when it doesn’t feel right to them. The inability to prepare meals, to bathe themselves, and carry out basic activities they were used to can tear them apart from within. Many even lose their mobility. These circumstances were unthinkable to them some years back.
Your job is to help them regain that confidence. You are there to help them retain their dignity by giving them ultimate respect. Your little show of respect and proper care can make all the difference for an older person.
While caring for the elderly in their own homes, you can support them to complete some tasks on their own; you can even sit down with them for a few minutes and chat about anything they want. After all, who doesn’t like a natter and a catch-up?
Make It A Point To Understand Them
This is not only good for the senior you are taking care of it is also good for you in the long run. Even the best caregivers know that senior people can sometimes become a little grumpy or can easily forget things. It is your job to know these things. Older people may also seem to act like babies, but this kind of behavior is never intentional.
They are merely a display of the decline in cognitive abilities. They may say things you don’t agree with or things that infuriate you—but you have to remain calm and understand it. Be Patient. Understand elderly people and see how happy you both will be together.
Be A Confident, But Privacy Is Key
Being a confidant means you and the older person can talk about things and laugh. You both can open up to how daunting it is to raise children if you have one. However, do not cross the line. It is vital to be like a friend with the person you are caring for. It helps you to understand each other better and ensures a good relationship.
However, sharing things that need to be kept private means you are going over the top. For example, the relatives of the senior might be having a dispute about their health. Inasmuch as this topic has something to do with you, it doesn’t concern you in any way. Stay clear of family disputes and don’t share your own private life that you don’t want to be shared with anyone else.
Report All Forms Of Abuse Accordingly
Elderly people can be a little grumpy and it might lead them to become a little abusive toward the individual caring for them. You are not expected to take your turn and it is not even advisable to gossip about such an occurrence. The best you should do is to report such form of abuse to the appropriate person. The refusal to take this gentle approach might lead to severe repercussions that you wouldn’t like.
Be Reliable And Dependable
Elderly people can easily lose trust in a caregiver if they arrive late or do not keep to agreed deadlines. Unlike young men and women, many older people do not have the patience to keep trusting someone who keeps failing on his promises. You have to present yourself as someone they can rely on, someone they can depend on.
Most of the elderly people have lived independent lives for years. This makes it almost impossible for them to rely on someone who has seemingly made herself unreliable. There are cases where an older person would take the chance to care for herself when the caregiver doesn’t arrive on time.
This could lead to dangerous consequences. The falling of a staircase is one of the possibilities of an older person giving care to herself. The point is not to present a scary scene; you just have to know that your reliability counts.
Explore Ways To Understand Communication Disabilities
Some elderly people who are experiencing some forms of communication disabilities do not find it easy communicating with others. For example, a stroke may affect someone’s speech. Many older people also struggle to hear what people are saying.
Sometimes, you have to speak up a little and expand your mouth to show your expression of the words you pronounce. You only have to explore different methods which you can use to communicate with them. Their will to communicate will make it easier for you to understand them too.
