What Specific Caregiving Matters Do I Need to Know?
As I was writing this chapter of my book on caregiving, I realized that I could go on and on. There are so many things that we need to worry about with our loved ones. I am mentioning some of the most important matters to preserve the Quality of Life of your family member.
The Soul
As we know, all our experiences in life have made us who we are. Imagine, if you no longer had your memories or the ability to care for yourself, what would be important for you to know that would make your soul feel good? Now, write three things down that would be important to your loved one if they could not express themselves. There are no wrong answers. My mom wanted me to make sure she had cute, expressive and comfortable socks on her feet. I have to say I always agreed.
Things to Look For
Some things to look for as a caregiver are losing weight, not feeling well due to a urinary tract infection (UTI), medications, behavior disturbances, driving ability and fall risks.
Safety First
The foundation of my philosophy of care is always Safety First. It is a necessity that you as the caregiver make decisions and care for your loved one who can no longer care for themselves. Once you know that someone has memory deficit, whether a physician has tested and told you, or you know from experience with your loved one, they really should not be left to care for themselves. Simply going out the front door to the edge of the driveway to pick up the newspaper can lead to a crisis. Instead of turning to go back into the house, one turns to the left instead and starts walking down the street. Now they are lost.
We must watch out for, and over, them. Your loved one may be frustrated and sad that you are hovering, so you learn to do it gracefully and quietly. All this is done while protecting their dignity and self-esteem.
This caregiving experience does have a lot of puzzle pieces to put together and keep glued.
Highlights from the book Simply Caring: Putting the Alzheimer’s Puzzle Together by Almost Home CEO Jamie Glavich.
Almost Home is here to help families by offering quality & affordable Adult Day Care, Assisted Living & Family Consulting Services, including information and resources on how to keep yourself well. Contact us if you have any questions on how we can help you and your family.
