The Holidays are a great time to plan a visit to an elderly family member. While this is a stressful time, it is possible to make your visit both enjoyable and productive. Caregiving and the Holidays can complement each other quite nicely as long as there is adequate preparation.
Concern: You elderly family member doesn’t eat nutritional meals or cannot leave the home to go grocery shopping.
Solution: Create an online account at a grocery store, and then have food delivered every week or so. You can fill the virtual shopping cart yourself or collaborate with your elderly family member. It is also possible to have pre-made meals delivered to the home. Several companies offer this service. There have many options, including meals that are low in carbohydrates, sodium, or calories. This option is great for people with medical conditions or special dietary needs.
Even if you can only visit for a short period of time, there are several things you can do that make a huge impact. First, create an emergency card for your elderly member to place in his wallet. It should include emergency contacts, doctors’ telephone numbers, medication regime and blood type. In the event of an emergency, this will help your loved one receive the best care as efficiently as possible. Also, try to attend a doctor’s appointment. This will give you the opportunity to tell the doctor about any concerns you may have. Finally, before you go, stock up on food and toiletries. If your loved one can’t leave his home without assistance, these things can easily run out before anyone else notices.
It is also important to set boundaries with the person you are caring for. While it may be difficult to initiate the conversation, doing so will help you avoid burnout, which means you will be able to help more effectively for a longer period of time. It’s generally best to go into the conversation with a list of talking points. What do you need this person to do to make your life easier? Often times, the requests you make aren’t anything you wouldn’t ask of a close friend, so the person receiving care shouldn’t be too upset by the conversation. For example, you may ask that the person receiving care refrain from calling you after 10 pm unless there is an emergency. In many cases, family members can also help you out. Maybe someone else can deliver meals on Tuesday nights or be the emergency contact person on a certain day of the week.
Long distance caregiving is a challenge, but the new products available make it easier than ever. In many cases, your loved one can now live happily at home due to advances in technology
Resource Author Francisco R. Higueras
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Tags: elder care