As people age, they tend to need help in getting about their day-to-day activities. Not everybody possesses the patience and serenity required in dealing with the elderly and sick. However, one can develop these skills over time, and if not, you can hire a professional trained to care for elderly patients.
A caretaker should be able to deal with the senior person’s physical and emotional problems. Patients with chronic illnesses require medical attention and relentless support; in addition, their illness often induces irritability, which must be dealt with softness.
Whether you are a professional caretaker or looking after your old parent, you need to adopt the right attitude and equipment to assist them.
Tips For Professional Caretakers
If you are a live-in caretaker, whose job is to look after an old person with chronic illness, be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride. You need to make sure that you adopt the right attitude to deal with an elderly patient’s state of agitation. It is important to keep calm and remain polite in such trying times to gain the admiration and trust of your patient.
Oftentimes the patient may not be comfortable with a stranger taking care of them and may not cooperate. Try your best to make conversation and keep your patient engaged. Treat them like a person instead of a patient, so that they never feel like a burden and learn to trust you.
As their caregiver, you will need to consult their doctor about their prognosis and the details of their treatment process. Keep them in the loop and talk to them about what they would prefer and how they feel about certain things.
Prior to the process of caretaking, make sure you are well-informed about the patient and know their medical history. You should be familiar with all their medicines and equipment you need to make sure you facilitate your elderly patient as much as possible.
How To Take Care Of Your Elderly Parents
Providing support to your parents in old age can be tough, especially if you have a full-time job and other family members to look after. If you have taken the responsibility to care for your sick parent, then you should consider making a few adjustments to your house. You must set up a separate room, equipped with the necessary supplies and materials; these could entail a hospice bed, support railings, and even a lift for the stairs. Make sure everything they need is within reach and available to them. Depending on the severity of their condition, you may need to hire full-time help if you yourself cannot provide supervision around the clock.
At an older age, patients also tend to be frustrated and agitated. Their illness, coupled with the inability to take on even the smallest activities independently causes tempers and uncooperative behavior. You must remember to take it easy and remain patient.
Taking care of a sick parent causes an emotional toll along with the physical. It is not easy to watch your parent suffer, and cause high-stress levels and anxiety. It is recommended to have a second person assist you.
Conclusion
People with chronic illness are going through a difficult time in their lives. They need emotional support and affection to heal, in addition to medical help. Research showed that a person who takes care of someone with chronic illness has high chances of developing a disease themselves. The stress of caretaking negatively impacts their immune system for up to 3 years.
It is a big responsibility to provide for the needs of the sick, and maintain your sanity. Along with taking care of the sick and elderly you must remember to make time for yourself, along with them.
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