"Successful Aging"
Caring for an elderly whether it's your spouse, parents, relatives,
or friends could be overwhelming, especially when you are face with
all the responsibilities and decision making for the loved one. Taking
care of a loved one can be difficult and challenging at times. It
requires a lot of time and patience. Sometimes you'll feel stress
out and tired but just remember that there're help around.
Tips for caring for the elderly:
- Information's Gathering
Know the loved ones general information such as his/her social
security and date of birth. Collect information's about the loved
one's health insurance, physician, medications, and health history.
If your loved one has Medicare, verify that he/she is enrolled
in the right plan. For information regarding Medicare issues,
contact Medicare Service Center at 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227)
or visit www.medicare.gov.
Make sure the loved one have a will, a living will, and a durable
power of attorney in place in which you can access it. In case
of an emergence you can provide the information to those who needed
it. For information about a will, a living will, and a durable
power of attorney visit www.legalhelper.net.
We recommend you visit Butte Home Health and Hospice legal and
financial matter site at www.buttehomehealth.com/legal.html
for specific information about a written will, a durable power
of attorney, a living will, and more. Contact your local legal
and financial consultant for farther information.
- Plan Ahead.
Ask the loved one where he/she wants to live, in a living assistance
facility or at home. If the loved one wants to live in a living
assistance facility, than more research has to be conducted such
as where would be the most appropriate place for the loved one
to stay and who is going to pay for it. Talk to the loved one
if he/she had any available asset that could contribute toward
his/her expanse in a living assistant facility. Conducting research
on facilities and who is going to pay for it are important factors
that shouldn't be dismissed. For information about financial support
visit www.agingcare.com.
If the loved ones want to live at home, determine whom he/she
is going to living with. Don't let the loved one live by him/her
self doing this may jeopardize his/her health if there isn't anyone
there to care for him/her. The loved one may fall and hurt themselves.
For information on assisted living facilities within your area
visit www.assistedliving101.com
or if you need assistance or advice in selecting an assisted living
facility, we recommend Community Care Options (530)894-2114 or
visit their website at www.communitycareoptions.com.
- Be Educated.
Be aware of the options and technology that are available to sustain
your loved one's independence. When caring for a loved one it
is important to educate yourself about the type of diseases that
he/she has, the treatment options, the symptoms, and the progression
of the disease. Being educated would help you understand what
the loved one is going through. For information about the common
disease among the elderly visit www.elderlynursing.com/ailment.htm
or www.medic8.com/healthguide/elderlyindex.htm.
You can also visit networkofcare.org
for information regarding your loved one health condition, the
type of disease that he/she has, the treatment options, and other
information for seniors and people with disabilities within your
local area.
- Consult With Doctor/Family Members
Talk to the doctor of the loved ones and clarify any information's
that isn't clear. Consult with the doctor for guidance in
decision making for your loved one. Talking to the doctors may
sometimes help you discover something that you might not come
across or think about. It's also important to consult with
the entire family members before a decision is made. They may
have their own view and solution of what to do.
- Medication Monitor
Make sure the loved ones take his/her medication as prescribe.
Always keep track of the medication that he/she is taking by writing
it down on a list. Don't mix his/her medication up with other
medication, doing this may lead to more complication for you and
your loved one. For information on how to manage your loved one
medications visit www.caregiver.com.
Don't dismiss normal aging sign as medication side effects. Medication
side effects can be treated and not getting treatment could put
your loved one's health at risk. For information about the type
of Medications that your loved one is taking visit www.medicinenet.com
or www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
and learn about the many side effects that will result due to
the use of those medications.
- Pay Attention
Start out by making your loved one comfortable and safe. Doing
this will ease the stress level for you and your loved one. Carefully
monitor the health of your loved one over the years to see if
there are any changes. Pay attention to the health condition of
the elderly and monitor their health regularly. If the health
of the loved ones decline such as they can't manage to dress,
prepare meals, or shop by themselves than you should start thinking
about getting help. Don't be afraid to visit the doctor
when needed to discuss the changes in your loved ones health and
what you should do.
- Supports
Taking care of an elderly can be stressful, therefore it'll
be beneficial to have someone that you trust and could help you
once in a while around. You're not alone; consult with family
member, relative, and friends of their responsibilities in helping
you. Having everyone take parts in caring for a loved one would
greatly put less stress on you as a caregiver. This will give
you time to rest and release your stress.
- Caregiver Health
The health of the caregiver is also a very important aspect of
caring for the elderly. Before you can care for a loved one you
have to take care of yourself first. As a caregiver you should
take time to rest, don't overwhelm yourself trying to provide
all the care by yourself. By stressing yourself out it won't do
any good for you and your loved one. Monitor your health regularly
and takes time off when you needed to. For information on how
to care for yourself visit
www.caringinfo.org or www.caregiver.org.
Butte Home Health & Hospice provides support groups that
are open to the public. You can call 895-0462 for times. Additionally,
check the community calendar in your local newspaper for other
support groups. Attending support groups not only provides an
opportunity to discuss your situation, we also hear from many
people that listening to tips and other ideas from individuals
who are in similar situations can be very useful.
- Help is Available
If more help is needed don't be afraid to seek help from
other caregivers or agencies. Contacting your local home health
agency like BHH&H and review the loved ones qualifications
and the services that they provide. Butte Home Health and Hospice
provide many home care and end of life services to Medi-care,
Medical, and private pay patients within Glenn, Tehama, and Butte
County. For information on private pay services, we recommend
Butte Home Health Plus. Their website is: www.buttehomehealthplus.com.
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