There’s no one plan that works in every caregiving situation. That is why it is so important that you and your elderly family member, alone with anyone else involved in her care, take the time to really personalize a care plan that works for her.
Clarify What Caregiving Means for Everyone Involved
You might know what it means to become your senior’s family caregiver, but if her expectations and definitions don’t match up that can be a situation that causes a lot of confusion. It’s vital that you, your senior, and other family members are on the same page about what caregiving means. That’s going to help pave the way for a smoother situation for everyone involved.
Get Help for Your Senior and Yourself
It’s never too early to line up help for yourself and your senior. Companion care at home makes a huge difference in how your elderly family member is able to age in place and even in the decisions that she’s able to make down the line. Elder care offers hands-on assistance that is crucial at some stages, and they can free up time for you to handle other necessary tasks.
Stay Up to Date with Changing Health Needs
Your senior’s health issues and needs are going to change constantly. This is especially true if she’s been diagnosed with chronic health issues that are likely to progress along a timeline. You need to know what to expect so that you can be prepared. Your senior needs to know what to expect as well, because that can reduce the emotional strain that she experiences due to her health.
Understand What Your Senior Wants at This Stage
Do you already know what your senior’s goals are now? How about farther down the aging journey? If you and she have not already talked about how she wants her life to be at different stages, it’s important to sit down and have that talk. This can be a stressful conversation, which is why so many people avoid it for as long as possible. Try to keep that in mind and find ways to make sure that you’re helping your senior to meet those goals.
Do Periodic Safety Sweeps
Safety is a huge issue for seniors. The best way to stay on top of safety considerations is to make them a routine occurrence. This is another way that companion care at home can assist your senior. Staying on top of safety concerns helps you to tackle those issues as they crop up instead of dealing with the aftermath. Making changes proactively is one of the best ways to keep your senior as safe as possible.
These are all things that you’ll need to handle on a continual basis in order to make sure that your senior’s care plan continues to meet her needs. As those needs change, how you approach them can also change, giving her the freedom to keep living her life on her own terms with the support she needs.