There comes a time when your elders depend on you for their needs and care. Even simple caregiving errands such as eating, bathing, changing clothes, etc., become problematic. This is when you can do most for them, return what they have been doing for you, and show gratitude.

After living an independent and fulfilling life, it is quite challenging for elders to depend on you for their mundane tasks. You have to understand that for people habitual of living an independent and vigorous life, depending on someone else is often devastating. So, when caring for them, you must also understand this aspect of their life.

Make sure whatever you do to care for them must not hurt their self-esteem or make them feel crippled or useless. Some ways you can care for your older adults while preserving their self-esteem include the following.

1.   Visit them often

When your parents or relatives reach a particular stage of life, they expect more attention from you. You will always find them looking forward to the time of meeting you. And when you do, their happiness is out of this world. Therefore, the best care you can give them is to visit them often. So just make a mark the days between dates to visit by often and keep visiting as per your marked calender.

If their health condition requires them to stay in a nursing home, visit them a few times a week. Also, take your kids along as the elderly enjoy the company of their grandchildren a lot. And while you are on the visit, inspect the facility and assess your loved ones to ensure they are treated well.

Nursing home abuse is a frequently reported issue by nursing home residents and families. The Nursing Home Abuse Center provides extensive information about this matter. In addition, it outlines the legal help you should get if you find the nursing home staff mistreating your elderly resident.

Signs to look for includes physical assault, bruises, cuts, behavioral changes, stress and anxiety, fear of asking for help, and so on. If you find any such issues, shift your elderly to another facility promptly and take care of the legal issues.

2.   Understand their health concerns

Your loved one may have some physical and cognitive health issues and impairments such as hearing, dementia, stress, depression, Alzheimer’s, and insomnia. Getting more information about their issue and providing the necessary help is important. Especially, insomnia is a big common problem for elders. You can give them Nembutal on a regular basis or concern a doctor. However, you may think about Where to buy Nembutal. Well, you can buy online.

Failure to do so can worsen their health condition. Also, be prepared to consult doctors in case of any emergency. Apart from specialist doctors, stay connected with a general physician you can reach out to any time.

3.   Involve them in making health-related decisions

If the older adults in the house see that others are making decisions on their behalf without asking for their input, they may feel dejected. Or worst, they might stop responding and resist the help.

To make them feel empowered, include them in the decision-making process. Make them part of your conversations with the doctor or other care providers such as therapists, counselors, etc.

You can also ask how they would prefer to receive help. Openly communicate with them about the options you are considering.

At the same time, listen to the elderly actively and consider what they say and feel about their care plan and if they need something else. If they object to anything, hear them out with interest without trivializing or dismissing their concerns.

4.   Check their medications

Older adults often use various medications. Therefore, whenever you visit them, check if they have enough supply of medication to last for a few days and refill before it runs out. This way, they will not be required to discontinue their medication even for a day.

If the elderly are on several medications, buy a pill organizer to keep the medicine and mark it with tags such as the days of the week and time (am, pm).

Having a pill organizer eliminates any confusion about time and dosage requirements. Also, if the doctor change, discontinue, or add any new medicine, discuss with them the potential side effects of the new medicine or any chance of drug antagonism.

5.   Engage them in physical activity

It is essential to keep your elderly active to strengthen their aging muscles and bones. Physical activity can keep them healthy and reduce the risk of falls. Besides, it is not uncommon for older adults to feel lonely, isolated, or even suffer from depression, especially when losing a spouse.

Keeping them involved and active will help them come out of depression, make new friends, and be more happy and optimistic about their life. Look out for resources in your community that mainly deal with designing activities for the elderly.

How to care for seniors at home for as long as possible

People often say “I promised her I’d never put her in a nursing home.” or, “Dad told me he never wanted to live in one of those places.”

For a variety of reasons, caregivers may choose to care for their older adults at home.

And as long as the situation is safe for everyone involved, keeping aging parents at home is a wonderful thing to do.

But it’s important to remember that senior care is one of the toughest and most stressful jobs you’ll ever have.

That’s why caregivers are at such high risk for burnout and serious health conditions.

So if you’re caring for your older adult at home, it’s essential to pace yourself.

That means you can’t be running at 110% every day. We’re human and that’s simply not sustainable over the long run.

Pacing yourself and getting assistance helps you stay as healthy as possible so you can continue providing great care.

To help you keep going over the long term, we share 5 tips for keeping aging parents at home for as long as possible by reducing the caregiving workload and decreasing stress.

Conclusion

To care for your elderly is your responsibility. Whether you provide them with the best house help or keep them in a nursing home, your responsibility still does not reduces. You must ensure they are not subjected to abuse or mistreatment, get proper medication, and feel respected and involved.