Today's guest post is by Kara Masterson. Kara is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah and is currently working with Corner Home Medical, a provider of respiratory therapy services delivered in a home care setting. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max. Her article outlines the advantages of in-home care for folks in need of 24-hour care. Enjoy Kara's article and feel free to comment below!
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Many seniors today are opting to stay home for their retirement years, because this is where comfort and stability lie. In order to have comfort and stability, a frail or elderly person often depends upon others to supply it, such as the home respiratory care provided by companies like Corner Home Medical as well as the efforts of professional caregivers or relatives. At times, caregivers for those at home may feel like they are not doing enough to keep the person they are caring for happy and content. Here are a few ways in which a caregiver can make a real difference in a home-bound person's life.
Get The Game On!
Older people are wonderful and have a lot to offer. Find out what is fun in someone's life, and add it to the roster for every day. Does the person play a musical instrument? What about a concert featuring favorite numbers while the caregiver does needed household tasks? Try these engaging activities:
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Potting new plants
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Sewing
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Cooking
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Woodworking or painting pictures
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Cards
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Landscape puzzles to glue into pictures when finished
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Internet socializing or free internet classes
All of these activities and more can be indulged in by a stable at-home person with a bit of help from a caregiver.
Make It Exciting!
Creative caregivers include physical activity. Without proper exercise, a person simply vegetates. As we grow older, we tend not to be as physically active as we once were, and we lose strength and balance without realizing it. The areas to focus upon are strength and endurance, flexibility and balance. There are easy exercises to keep tone in these areas. For instance:
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Arm raises with small weights while seated in a chair
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Leg raises while sitting in a chair
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Stretches leaning against a wall
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Walking
Walking may need lots of supervision if balance is a problem. Walkers come in all types, and are very helpful. Walking should be done every day on a flat surface with caregiver as companion.
Provide Outings For Clients
Getting out of the house is a needed escape for everyone. Even if a person cannot walk, a wheelchair ride through the neighborhood provides new stimulus and fresh air. If a person can be driven for an outing, this can also provide new surroundings and the possibility of attending an event or visit.
Provide Friend Dates
"Having company" was at least a weekly event for everyone 50 years ago. Encourage your client or relative to call a friend or invite the person in for lunch. Getting the meal ready can be enjoyable, and the friend visit a refreshing diversion for an afternoon.
Don't forget to have fun! Caregiving is a stressful situation. As time passes, a caregiver will need to become more creative to keep a home-bound person engaged in activities of daily living. If this can be achieved, benefits to both caregiver and client can be realized.
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One of Ankota's recent whitepapers, entitled "Selling Care Transition Services to Hospitals" is available for download and we think you'll find it useful. Please click the link or the picture below to download. If you're interested in scheduling an online demo of our home care or care transitions software solutions, just click this button:
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital, focusing on efficiency and care coordination. Ankota's primary focus is on Care Transitions for Readmission avoidance and on management of Private Duty non-medical home care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact us.
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