Seniors Have Fun, Too!
Wonderful things can happen when your senior family member has someone looking after them. Without a caregiver, your loved one is at risk of malnourishment, depression, and injury. With so many people that could benefit from professional Caregiving, it is no wonder that more and more insurance companies are approving it. The benefits of hiring a caregiver include healthier social lives and stronger relationships with friends, as your senior family member will be better able to participate in social engagements.
Getting Up
A Caregiver can help your loved one to get up at a reasonable time. Some caregivers are able to live-in with your loved one, and some are able to come in the mornings, and stay all day for a fun day of activities. After being gently awakened, your loved one’s Caregiver can help them get to the toilet, and help them bathe. All of these things are essentially helpful for those of us who struggle with mobility, or live with severe arthritis, or osteoarthritis.
Getting the Day Started
Your loved one’s Caregiver can take responsibility for cooking a satisfying and nutritionally complete breakfast for the two of them. If your loved one has a special diet, don’t worry: many people who require around-the-clock care do have special diets, and can sometimes have a difficult time meeting all of their nutritional requirements. A Caregiver can be mindful of what your loved one needs, and what they need to avoid, and remind them to take any medication at the time it is due. A little stretching after having breakfast is good for anyone who can move, and a Caregiver can help with stretching.
Lunchtime
If your loved one schedules a lunch date with friends, their caregiver can drive them to their lunch, and take care of things around the house while they’re gone. Caregivers can take pets out to relieve themselves, pick up dry cleaning, check out books from the library, go grocery shopping, and start preparing meals for the next couple of days. If there are light chores that need to be completed around the home, your Caregiver can help out with those, too.
Afternoon
When lunch is over, a Caregiver can pick up your loved one from seeing their friends, and bring them home safely. Once home, your senior loved one may want to work on a crossword puzzle from the morning paper, piece together a puzzle, or knit something special for a neighbor. This could be a chance for the caregiver to get dinner started, or simply spend time with your loved one.
Evening
After dinner and making sure that your loved one takes their medication, a Caregiver may relax with them in front of the television. If your family member wants an alcoholic beverage, so long as there is no drug interaction, the caregiver may help them with a serving of beer or wine.
Bedtime
A Caregiver can give your elderly loved one a warm bath, and help them dress for bed. After your loved one is in bed, the Caregiver may or may not leave – for seniors who are prone to sleepwalking or wandering, someone may actually be up all night, and watch to make sure that they are safe. If you need any of these services for your loved one, reach out to your local home care service provider.
