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ToggleCaring for an elderly parent can be challenging. Suddenly, the roles are reversed, often leading to frustration and confusion. However, elderly parent care can also be highly rewarding. Whether you are stepping into the caregiver role or seeking ways to improve your approach, this guide can help. These tips can help you care for your elderly parent while offering compassion and feeling confident in your skills.
Understand Their Needs
Understanding your elderly parent’s needs is essential for providing them with care. How can you know how to help if you do not know what they need? Consider the following before contacting Belmont Village.
Assess Their Physical Health
One of the first things you must do is assess your elderly parent’s physical health. You should schedule annual checkups with their doctor and discuss any health issues, including new or worsening symptoms. You should also discuss their medications and any mobility concerns.
Monitor Their Emotional Well-Being
Seniors go through changing emotions with age. They may feel loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Isolation can cause these emotions to increase in severity. It is essential to talk with your elderly loved one about how they are feeling. Check in with them occasionally to ensure their emotional health is where it should be.
Evaluate Their Living Conditions
Elderly parents may be unwilling to admit they need help immediately, but you can evaluate their living conditions to determine if there is a problem. Are they finding it challenging to keep up with day-to-day chores? Are there any safety hazards that need addressing? Check for these issues and hard-to-reach items to make life easier for your parents.
Assessing your parent’s specific needs can help you become a better caregiver. You can create a tailored plan of action to address their needs and ensure you feel confident in taking care of what needs to be done.
Establish a Care Routine
Seniors need routine; it makes them feel less agitated and can help with their physical health. It is essential to establish a routine as soon as possible. Your elderly parent’s schedule can include the following:
Meal Times
You should plan nutritious meals that address your parent’s needs. For example, seniors with diabetes or high blood pressure may need a specific diet. Ensure you get input from your parent about the foods they enjoy eating, as tastes can change with age.
Medication Management
Medication management can become a source of stress for senior parents and their adult children. Use pill organizers, set reminders on your phone, or make notes to help remind you when to administer medications. Following the prescribed dosage will help keep your parents safe and healthy.
Exercise and Activities
You should encourage your elderly parents to stay active. Moving their bodies will help relieve stiffness and pain and protect their mobility. Finding something they like to do, such as walking, dancing, or swimming, is wise. Get them involved in an exercise class or walking club to encourage movement as often as possible.
Start on the Right Foot
Taking care of an elderly parent brings challenges, but it also offers great rewards. Giving back to the one who raised you is worth your time and effort. To start off on the right foot, consider the tips above. Get to know your elderly parent’s needs and ensure you can meet them. If necessary, get outside help if being a full-time caregiver becomes too much to handle.