Stephen Stegall, III is this February’s employee of the month. We are very appreciative of Stephen, he takes good care of his clients and does his work well. Stephen’s clients are very happy and so are we. Congratulations Stephen, and keep doing what you do!!!
Month: January 2020
Asking for Help Might Not Be as Difficult as it Seems
If you’ve had iffy results asking for help from family and friends in the past, you might be reluctant to ask for their help now. Sometimes it feels easier to just keep trying to do it all yourself. But that gets exhausting.
Get an Idea What Needs to Be Done
Sometimes you’re so busy getting everything done that you’re not even sure anymore what needs to be done and what you could even ask someone else to do. That’s when the idea of even asking for help starts to feel overwhelming. Try to make a running list of what you do during the day to help you to figure out what you might be able to delegate to someone else. While you’re making the list, don’t worry about who might do what or whether it’s a task you can hand over or not. Your first step is getting clear about what has to get done on a regular basis.
Little Tasks You May Be Able to Hand Off Right Away
Once you’ve got your list, it’s much easier to go through and determine what small tasks are ones that you can turn over to someone else. Some of the tasks that you don’t necessarily have to do yourself could be things like running errands, picking up prescriptions, or household tasks. If there are people in your life who can do those things for your senior, hand those tasks over.
Figure Out Who Can Handle Bigger Tasks
The little tasks add up to more than you might realize. By now, you should have the bigger tasks left on your list. Some of those may be tasks that you still feel you need to handle, but others may be ones that you would be okay delegating if you had someone you trusted ready to take the reins. Talk to family members or other people who might fit that category and determine if they’re willing to do what you’re asking them to do.
There Are Still Answers
It can be shocking to hear “no” to a request you’ve made for more help. It’s especially shocking when you’re hearing that same negative response every time you ask for help. But it’s important to remember that your friends and family don’t have to be the only source of assistance you access. Elder care providers can meet those needs you have for assistance and they can do so quickly and efficiently, which is exactly what you need during these busy days as a caregiver.
If you’re still feeling worn down, there may be more you can delegate that you haven’t actually let go of yet. Go through this process again and talk to elder care providers about what else they can handle for your senior. They may be able to handle far more than you expect.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN WEST DES MOINES, IA, FOR A SENIOR LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!
Four Areas to Consider When Assessing Needs for Your Senior
Being a caregiver means that you need to spend a good bit of your time assessing how your senior is doing and what she needs in order to meet her own goals, like aging in place. It can help to categorize those different areas so that you ensure you’re covering all of the bases for your elderly family member.
General Safety Issues
Your senior’s overall safety is a huge consideration. Any issues, big or small, that have an impact on her overall safety need to be addressed as quickly and as thoroughly as you can. This might mean taking over home maintenance tasks for your senior or making sure her home is clutter-free and clean every week.
Physical Health and Conditions
Your senior likely has at least one or two chronic health conditions that need to be watched, but there may be others developing, too. You also need to pay attention to changes in her mobility and whether she’s experiencing pain or other issues that need to be addressed. Other issues, like dietary considerations, sleep habits, and whether she’s exercising or not can also factor in. Your senior’s health can seem to change much more quickly now than it did in the past.
Problems with Her Memory
Memory issues are a massive concern both for aging adults and for their caregivers. For so many seniors, those small senior moments can feel as if they’re a harbinger of something a lot bigger, like Alzheimer’s disease. Not every memory issue means that your elderly family member is developing Alzheimer’s, but if she’s concerned at all, her doctor can do some tests to see what’s happening.
Her Emotional Well-being
Emotional wellness involves not just your senior’s moods, but also factors such as whether she’s socializing as she normally would. Withdrawing is sometimes necessary and it can be normal, but if your elderly family member has withdrawn to the point that she is isolating herself, that’s not a good sign. She can be susceptible to depression and to other psychological problems that are better avoided.
This can be a lot for you to keep up with tracking on your own. Senior care providers can help you to notice even small differences in your senior’s behaviors or health that you might not have noticed otherwise. They can also help to take over some of the tasks that have become more difficult for your senior, all while offering friendly companionship.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN CLIVE, IA, FOR A SENIOR LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!
Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!
Laura Capps is our January employee of the month. We appreciate Laura’s dedication and work ethic. She has been a great help to us at Golden Heart. We want to say thank you Laura for all of your hard work and dedication, we really appreciate it. Congratulations!!!!