There are literally thousands of people in the United States alone taking care of an elderly or sick person in a home caregiver’s role. So don’t feel alarmed if you are nervous about becoming a home caregiver yourself. You may have actually been assuming this role for many years anyway, even without realizing it. Below are some signs that you are a caregiver or soon will be if you aren’t already.
-Your once very active parents are now experiencing some health issues and they are being slowed down by them. They are still on their own but they are starting to show signs of needing help at times.
-You are finding more and more unpaid bills and unopened mail on the desk of your family member. At one point they used to look forward to the mail and pay all bills on time, but not anymore.
-Your loved one used to have hobbies they did regularly, attended card games or had an active sewing room or workshop. Now they don’t seem as interested or even care if they do their hobbies again.
-You have noticed that household chores are not done or not done very well anymore, including mowing the lawn, dusting, washing the dishes or fixing leaks.
-Your older parent’s food supply seems sparse or they have become complacent about cooking food as well as dangerous in the kitchen, potentially burning items, etc.
-Your once well groomed dad or mom now looks haggardly or unkempt.
-Your loved one seems distracted a lot, overly forgetful or inattentive. These are signs that you may soon become a home caregiver.
If you have noticed some or all of these signs and you feel your aging parent or loved one is soon ready for homecare than talk to them about it. Don’t just make all of the plans without them knowing, even if they are mentally impaired. Involving them in the process of home care giving will make them feel that they had a say so. They will want to feel included so they know what is going on. The internet is a marvelous tool for research. See if you can get them on the internet to research home care possibilities and information. Making them feel comfortable with decisions is important.
Since you will soon be a caregiver, create a job description or list of things you know you will be taking care of. Involve your loved one in this as well. Make sure you line up other family members, friends or relatives to help out if you can get them to agree. If you lack a support system then check with your local home care agency or seek in home companions. There are links on this website to help in that regard. Along the way make sure you respect your own time off so you can recharge when needed. In-home care of the elderly is sometimes brutal on your time schedule.
Before totally immersing yourself in the home care giver role make sure you know all of your options. Check at your local Area Agency on Aging for information on such things as adult daycares, assisted living facilities, nursing assistance or home companions. Use all of your resources so you don’t wear yourself completely out with stress.
If you do plan on using an adult daycare make sure you take your aging parent on tours of the various places so they can be part of the decision. They are still a person with feelings no matter how old or infirm they are. Make sure the daycare has enough activities and is well managed. If you interview homecare nurses make sure your loved one is in on the interview. Take note as to their interaction with the future patient.
To sum it up, make sure you do what you can to put a positive spin on things and make your aging parent or loved one part of as many decisions as you can. You want them to have a positive experience. If they feel sad about an in-home companion now cleaning and cooking for them, make them feel that it is a positive thing because now they can visit friends more often and have fewer things to worry about. Make things positive. Weed out all of the bad interviewees and organizations and pick only what you feel are the good ones for your loved one. All in all, the most important thing you can do as a new in-home caregiver for an elderly or ill person is to involve them in the homecare process.
Related Home Care Links:
Buy home medical equipment at drugstore.com.
