What Involves Elderly Caregiving?

What is Care Giving?

Caring for elderly becomes necessary when they reach the stage in their lives wherein they are physically unable to care for their own bodies or other daily needs.  This task is a physically and emotionally difficult one for the one assigned to do the care giving. Hence, this explains why there are several caregiving stations wherein people are paid to care of aging and elderly individuals. But if you are capable of extending that service to any elderly in the family, whether relatives or your parents, then you need to take that responsibility as a way of showing your genuine care and affection for these older folks in the family. 

Difficult as the task may seem, proper knowledge of effective caregiving methods would help provide a more convenient and healthy life for your elderly family members. The best way to get started on an effective care giving procedure is to learn as much as you can about how to effectively do it. After all, having the care of another human being in your hands is a huge responsibility. 

Essentials in Caring for Elderly

Having difficulty coping with the responsibility of caring for an elderly? Here are a few tips to help you cope with the challenges and make life more convenient for you as a carer and for the elder you are caring for:

•	Since you have your own personal life to live, you need to practice proper time management. This will help ensure that you take care of the elder's needs while also having enough time to relax or enjoy yourself.

•	Look for other available care alternatives that will offer the kind of caring needs that your elder needs. 

•	Don't take on this responsibility alone. Seek the help of your other family members, children, relatives, or neighbors, especially if you encounter any difficulty in providing care.

•	Assign someone to replace your spot in caring, whether it be your husband, your brother or sister, or other relatives. This should allow you to rest and ensure that you have enough strength and vitality to provide the utmost care your elder needs.

•	Take care of your health. A huge data of caregivers are known to have higher possibilities of acquiring illness while caring for others. If you do become ill, who will take care of the elder in the family?

•	If you are not directly the carer of elders but know someone in the family who is, extend help to them as much as you can. Whether it be preparing meals, or performing errands for them, it can help reduce the burden if having to take care of the elderly.

Medical and Non-Medical Type of Care

Most elder people encounter various types of illness as they age. However, there are also non-medical needs involved in caring for older people that you need to give attention to. They are classified as follows:

Medical Care

These are types of caring services that involve the care, monitoring, and cure of certain illnesses experienced by older individuals. 

•	home healthcare
•	personal care, such as bathing, grooming, or toileting
•	rehabilitation services such as physical therapy
•	house calls or attending to visiting physicians
•	meal preparation
•	administering medicines
•	home and safety monitoring for in-home elderly care

Non-medical Care

These are entailing services or care that is involved with ensuring that all physical and other needs of the elderly individual are taken care of.

•	home care maintenance
•	financial planning
•	insurance services
•	transportation for shopping or other errands
•	emergency transportation services
•	house cleaning	
