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Month: July 2019

Are You Overwhelmed by Suddenly Discovering You’re a Caregiver?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Urbandale IAAs odd as it might sound, plenty of caregivers suddenly realize that they’re the primary family member caring for an elderly family member. That can be a scary and eye-opening moment for you, especially if this wasn’t your goal.

You’re the Closest One to Your Senior

If you’re geographically the closest family member to your elderly family member, that might have automatically made you her caregiver as far as everyone else is concerned. This sort of caregiving starts out slowly, often with you stopping to check in on your senior. Before you know it, you’re doing more and more for your elderly family member. It’s important that you really examine how you got to this point because any lingering resentment over how it happened can color your relationship with your senior.

You Have More Time Available than Anybody Else Does

It’s also possible that there are plenty of other family members in the area, but you’re the one who has the most spare time. Being a caregiver takes up a lot of time and energy, especially if your senior needs a good bit of help. Your other family members might want to help out more, but be unable to do so because of other commitments. Again, it’s a good idea to do some deep diving and see if you are feeling resentful at all about this so you can deal with those feelings.

You’re Willing and Able to Get Things Done

Besides time and proximity, there’s also the willingness to get things handled. Sometimes family members or your senior waffle about making solid decisions. They might know what needs to be done, but put it off. If you’re an action-oriented person, that might be how you ended up in the position you’re now in. That’s not a bad thing, but you might have thought your involvement was more temporary.

Find Support for Yourself While Caregiving

No matter how you ended up in your position as a caregiver, it’s vital that you build a support network for yourself. Even if this is temporary for you, it’s crucial for you to have a system that holds you up when you need it. Other family members might be able to do this for you, but your best option is to hire elder care providers. They’ve got the experience in caregiving that you can truly lean on and learn from, especially if you’re feeling unprepared.

If you really aren’t able to continue being your senior’s caregiver, it’s time to hold a family meeting and formally hand over the reins to someone else. But if you can do this, it’s something that is incredibly rewarding and that means so much to your senior.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN URBANDALE, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!

Five Things to Learn from Your Senior’s Eating Habits

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Services in Altoona IA: What do you know about your senior’s eating habits?

Your senior’s eating habits can tell you a great deal about what is going on with her mentally, emotionally, and physically. You might have to dig a little deeper to get to the bottom of why she’s doing what she’s doing, though.

She Might not Be Getting Out

If your elderly family member is avoiding going out as often as she once did, she’s probably not getting to the grocery store, either. That can mean that she’s letting her fridge and pantry get pretty empty before she does anything about it. The foods that she does have on hand might not be the best choices for her.

She’s Having Trouble Cooking

Cooking is not as easy for an older adult as it might have been. It can also take a lot of energy and time that she would rather spend in other ways. Your senior might not feel as safe as she once did in the kitchen, too. The problem is that she might not mention these things to you, so you could be stuck guessing.

Food Isn’t Appealing

Whether the issue is physical or emotional, food might not be appealing to her right now. That’s a problem, though, because her body needs fuel whether she’s interested in ingesting that fuel or not. Without eating, she’s likely to become weaker and her immune system might be compromised.

She May not Remember Eating

If your elderly family member is having trouble with her memory, she might think she ate or believe that she ate, even if she didn’t. She might not recognize hunger cues, either, which complicates this situation even more. If this goes on for too long, she runs the same risks as if she were deciding not to eat on purpose. Her strength and her immune system are both at risk.

She Needs Help

What’s really important to remember no matter what issues your senior is having around food is that this is a vital concern. If she’s not getting proper nutrition, for whatever reason, that’s something you need to step in and remedy for her. She needs your help, and probably in ways that you didn’t expect to have to provide for a long time yet.

How well and how often your senior is eating is important information. Home care providers can fill in those gaps for you. They can also take over preparing meals for your elderly family member so that you can be sure she’s eating regularly and that those meals are full of healthy foods.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOME CARE SERVICES IN ALTOONA, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!