Family caregivers enter their role without having a clear job description outlined. In fact, you might have stepped in with the original plan of only helping out a little bit with things such as housework or grocery shopping. However, the list of things a caregiver might be responsible for doing tends to grow over time. These are the top seven things you’re likely to do as a family caregiver along with some tips to help you manage it all.
1. Handle Household Chores
The daily life of a family caregiver can seem mundane. You might sometimes even feel like you’re facing an endless pile of laundry and clutter. While you naturally have to do things around the house, remember to ask for help when it gets to be too much. Someone else can easily wash a sink full of dishes, but to you the extra free time will mean a lot.
Consider hiring an in-home caregiver to assist with light housekeeping and other tasks around the home. Roseville home care professionals can be a wonderful boon to seniors. Whether they require around-the-clock supervision or just need assistance with exercise and household tasks a few days a week, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life with the help of trusted in-home caregivers.
2. Stock the Pantry and Prepare Meals
Seniors face difficulty with meal prep in many ways. Your loved one may not remember to throw out expired food and replace it with new items, or he or she be unable to drive to the grocery store or keep up with a list. Eventually, you may also need to cook your loved one’s meals to prevent him or her from having an accident in the kitchen.
3. Assist with Medication Management
This aspect of family caregiving is often the most daunting. Your loved one needs help remembering which medications to take, and you must also watch out for things such as mix-ups that require an immediate trip to the hospital. Fortunately, you can use tools such as pill dispensers to help with this task.
4. Take Your Loved One to the Doctor
Doctor’s visits are a major part of most seniors’ lives. Even if your loved one is in good health, you can expect to take him or her to the doctor regularly for checkups and tests. During busy times, you may need to ask for help with these types of appointments since you may end up wasting hours in waiting rooms. Try having a professional caregiver take your loved one to a routine checkup while you handle other responsibilities, or the caregiver could switch roles if you need to be at an appointment to advocate for your loved one.
5. Help with Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene is another task that may make you slightly uncomfortable, but it’s important for your loved one’s health. Your loved one may need help bathing, washing his or her hair, or even cleaning up after using the toilet. Watch your loved one’s reaction to the task, along with your own reaction, and consider using professional caregiving services if it preserves your loved one’s dignity.
If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of homecare families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
6. Watch Out for Common Safety Hazards
You’ll quickly discover that danger lurks all around. You may find yourself picking up constantly to keep objects out of your loved one’s walking path. You’ll also need to do things such as make sure appliances are turned off to prevent your loved one from getting hurt.
7. Keep Your Loved One Mentally and Physically Active
A large part of your day is spent keeping your loved one busy. You may plan social engagements such as lunch with one of his or her friends or need to plan exercise routines and play games together. Try to look at these moments as a special time to bond.
Caring for a senior loved one can be rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming for family caregivers who have other responsibilities they need to focus on. For these families, the perfect solution is respite care. Roseville, CA, families rely on our caregivers whenever they need time to rest, work, run errands, and even go on vacation. Reach out to Home Care Assistance today at (916) 226-3737 to learn more about our premier in-home respite care.