Taking care of an elderly relative yourself is a huge task to take on, and a noble one at that. Increasing another human’s quality of life and enjoyment each day is a rewarding and uniquely challenging experience; one that will increase your bond with this person on a daily basis.
With that said, no matter how ready you are for this experience, you can’t ever be fully prepared for the extent of the work before you. Thankfully there are lots of services available to you and your loved one to make the process easier for both parties. Respite care, for instance, is available from most higher-end facilities both in-home and on-site, making it a viable option for anyone looking for a bit of help for themselves or their loved one.
Counselling
Counselling is important, as some aspects of care can be trying for both the relative and the carer at times. Your loved one can and likely will be frustrated and agitated at one point or another, and this can cause you to become frustrated as well. This isn’t conducive to a calm, positive environment, so counselling individually can be of huge help to both and the ways you relate to each other.
Respite Care
Respite care is a great option for those who need something more than just the essentials when it comes to care. For clients with complex care needs, most respite care facilities can provide more than adequate care on a short or longer term basis, and care in-home is usually available from those same places. Respite care can be a good option for more independant relatives as well, as it provides them with a loosely structured care regime that won’t cut into their lives too much.
Socialising Activities
Socialisation can be of enormous significance to people of advanced age, as studies show that loneliness and depression affect a large amount of individuals above a certain age. Meeting and befriending new people through facilities or just on a day-out basis can lift moods, return a zest for life and give your loved one energy like they haven’t had in years.
Home-Visit Doctors
On occasion, your relative will need to visit a doctor to get a routine health checkup. These occasions can be tricky and tiring for some, especially those that are less physically mobile. This can lead to them being a source of anxiety in some instances.
The benefits of home-visit doctors are clear in these instances, as they account for not having to leave the house or compromise on health care. A doctor can come to your house and give you a routine checkup, as well as fill out the prescriptions you need and bulk bill at the end of it all, making it an attractive option for those caring for a loved one.
Physiotherapy
Finally, there are physiotherapy services available to people to aged people with certain physical limitations. Exercise can seem impossible past a certain age, but with these professionals, mobility can be returned to a significant degree, reducing the amount of care that your loved one could need. These healthcare workers aren’t capable of fixing every problem, but if they can ease the stiffness in joints then they are certainly worth paying a visit to.
Caring for a relative can be challenging, but the rewarding time spent with them as a result of this care is second-to-none and with modern services such as the aforementioned, care has never been so well-supported. Now is the time to start caring for your beloved relative, and you can both have a better quality of life.