Tips on Caregiving for Elderly Loved Ones
Humanity has always been in search of the secret of eternal youth. Though the fountain may or may not have been discovered by Ponce de Leon, its effectiveness has not been proven. 
Despite the latest achievements in medicine, the desired magic remedy has not been invented yet. Once reality sets in that aging will impact our loved one’s health there will be a need to care for them. The changes that aging brings cannot be avoided and we need to strategize of what would be the best way to provide care.
Below we present some tips that outline the actions that you can undertake to become a better caregiver.
Take care of the sleep regime of your elderly loved one.
Normal sleep (that’s a sleep of over 7-8 hours for this age) is most importance for the elderly. Their body is exhausted and needs a proper rest. In addition, a proper sleep is a good remedy for restoring the tense nervous system which is highly harmed at this age. Nevertheless, the reality is that many elderly people do suffer from insomnia.
In such cases, doctors may prescribe some pills to treat the sleep disturbance. If your beloved ones do not love the idea of taking pills for sleeping well, you can contribute to their better sleep by means of drawing up and following sleeping regimes:
- comfortable bed
- foam mattress pad and wedge pillows
- organizing some sports activities
- cup of warm milk before bed
- read or listen to an audio book but don’t watch TV before bed
Take care of the eating habits of your beloved elderly ones.
It’s vital that seniors get nutritious meals and keep to a healthy diet. The main challenge is that older people tend to lose their appetite due to illnesses, stomach issues, dry mouth or simply lack of teeth. Consequently, nutrition process requires a lot of attention and time from the caregivers. In this case you should consider reviewing what the patient is eating and if their getting the nutrition they need. In case they are not we would advise reaching out to a senior advocate or local nursing home in Ohio and ask them to do a nutrition evaluation. Before reaching out to the Senior Comfort Guide you can consult with a dietitian on determining how often and how much it is desirable for the elderly to eat. In any case, you should note that fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and fibers should be an essential part of daily diet.
Personal hygiene is of utmost importance
One of the most important components of elderly care is the attentiveness to personal hygiene. The hygiene of elderly people continues to be the same as for other age groups. You should consider some uniqueness that come with advancement of age. Older people generally have more fragile and dry skin so frequent baths and application of moisturizing and nourishing creams is important. Here it should be noted that foot care (wash ups, taking care of toenails, blisters, etc.) also is of a great importance as feet are often associated with their independence.
There are many simple steps the application of which may make the stressful yet rewarding process of caregiving easier and more pleasurable for both you and your loved ones. Always remember that as a care giver its important to take care of yourself so you have the energy to be available for the patient. Don’t ever feel bad if you need to hire a home nursing service for 24 to 48 hours. Its important that you are happy and have the stamina to care for your loved one.
