How Do You Take Care of Elderly Family Members?
Whether it’s your grandparents, aunt, or parent, there may come a time when you need to care for an elderly family member. It may be for a short period of time, or it may be a more long-term situation.
Either way, it can not only be daunting but you may also wonder exactly how you can offer your loved one the best possible care. What do you need to consider in the short term? What will you need to do day-to-day? And what should you think about when looking ahead?
Here, we share our advice for caring for the elderly:
Day-to-day care for the elderly
It goes without saying that your relative’s well-being is at the heart of any care you provide for them. There are a number of things to consider with elderly care surrounding the emotional, mental and physical well-being of your loved one.
They will, of course, want to retain independence and dignity where they can which means ensuring that their day-to-day living requirements are met as effectively as possible. Some of the key ways you can care for the elderly include:
- Nutrition – making sure your loved one is not only eating and drinking regularly, but is getting the right nutrition
- Mobility – from getting out of bed to a trip to the shops
- Dressing – helping them dress appropriately and comfortably
- Personal hygiene – including bathing and showering and getting to the toilet to brushing their hair
Living arrangements
One of the biggest things you’ll need to consider when caring for a relative is their living arrangements. Do they currently live alone? Are they close to family or friends, or are they isolated? Do they have any specific healthcare needs that may require more specialist care?
These are all factors you – and your elderly relative – will have to consider – but there are a number of options for you to consider. Here, we’ll discuss some of the options open to you, and how they can help you with caring for a relative.
Living with relatives
If your elderly relative doesn’t have any complex healthcare requirements, you may want them to live with you or someone else in the family. This will offer them companionship if they’re living alone, as well as support with day-to-day living. Living with a relative also means you as the caregiver get extra support.
Live in care
Live in care is a great option to consider, whether your loved one has healthcare needs or not. Live in carers can help with all day-to-day care – from making the beds to walking the dog – and help your loved one stay in a home they feel comfortable in. A live in carer provides companionship for your relative, and can offer respite for you.
Care homes
Care home and assisted living homes are another option to consider when caring for an elderly relative. They provide companionship in the way of other residents, care from professionals, and peace of mind for you as their loved one.
If you’re caring or an elderly relative and are considering live in care, why not contact us today and discuss your options? You can also find out more about the care and support we offer across the country using the links below.
Or view all the locations we operate in here.
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