The number of elderly in the USA is growing. This requires more people to take care of them, but sometimes, we don’t want to bring them to a hospice. Most Americans have chosen to keep their elderly at home and personally take care of them.
It’s estimated that the number of the old and the aging is around 54 million. It’s a small fraction of the population, but it is constantly growing every year. There is also a rising trend of Americans personally taking care of the old, and hospices are left for those who can afford it. If you have some elderly living in your home, it can be quite challenging to take care of them.
Get Them Frequent Check-ups
Check-ups are one way you can determine the health of your elders. This is essential if you want to know how to take care of them physically.
A check-up can tell what kind of treatments they need every week or whether if they need treatment or not. There are some treatments unique to certain diseases, and there are also proactive treatments that can help prevent some diseases. Finding the right one can help your aging live a long and healthy life.
You should also increase the frequency of their check-ups to every three months. This will help determine any diseases that might have developed over time. Frequent check-ups should be your first line of defense when taking care of your elderly.
Keep Them Moving
Once in a while, you can go out and take a walk with them. This will do wonders when it comes to their physical health.
Moving is an essential part of our health and our elderly’s health. This will keep their muscles stimulated and trained and help treat some mobility issues they might have. This simple exercise can make a difference if you do it consistently for thirty minutes every day. It’s a simple exercise that anyone can do.
Schedule Medications
If your elderly is taking medications every day, then you must arrange them yourself. This will help you keep track of their medication in case they forget.
Scheduling medications means adding whatever medication they have into your own schedule. Simple alarms and reminders can come a long way in reminding your elderly to take their meds, just in case they forget. A single missed medication can make a difference in their physical health. Help them remember so that they don’t miss it in the future.
Hire Help
When it comes to the physical care of the elderly, you must hire help. You’ll have to live your own life too, and they’d hate it if you’re spending all your time with them 24/7.
All kinds of help can be found on the internet. You can contact them and screen them if you want. Look for certifications and experience as that will make a difference in what they can do. An experienced home health aide makes fewer mistakes than an amateur one. You certainly want fewer mistakes from your aide when it comes to the elderly.
Give Them Autonomy
Autonomy is crucial to their mental health. Most older adults want to do the things they want to do before, especially the simple ones like cooking.
Their independence to do anything they want is essential to their mental health. No one wants to be cooped up in their homes, which is the same for the elderly. Sure, we have to protect them against any harm, but it doesn’t mean that we have to be overbearing about it.
Ask their doctor regarding the things they can do. If they are free to do practically anything, they give them that chance. Give them limitations, but don’t fully keep them inside, leading to deteriorating mental health.
Empower Them
In most instances, old people can take care of themselves, and they want to know this by heart. Even those who can’t do it still want to know that they still can do the things they used to do before. You must empower them whenever you can. Talk with them and tell them that they are still healthy and will still be healthy as long as they take care of themselves. This simple talk can empower them, and empowerment is a form of proactive care that can last long.
It’s important to follow the holistic approach when taking care of the elderly. If you follow these tips, that should be quite an easy task for you. Make sure to get help when you can because you can’t handle this alone. You’ll also have to live your life the best way you can.
