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| Mobility is just one challenge |
Caretakers of elderly patients are often spouses, children, or close family members. Taking care of an elderly person is not an easy task by any means and it can cause you to suffer from depression and other problems like backaches. Here are some tips to help elderly patients live at home with ease:
Hearing loss
An elderly person almost always has problems with hearing. When you are caring for an elderly person make sure you talk a little louder so they can hear you. Repeating yourself over and over can be frustrating for you, but it can be quite frustrating for your loved one. You can help them with their hearing loss problems by getting a phone that has a louder ringer and it also has a Caller ID feature that announces the name of each caller: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/product/clearsounds-talking-amplified-telephone-with-talking-caller-id/2839/. This is a wonderful phone for anyone that is hard of hearing and is also suffering from vision loss. Encourage them to get a hearing aid or a hearing device that will make it easier for them to carry on a conversation with you without dealing with all the frustration that comes along with hearing loss and vision loss.
Skin Care
The one problem elderly individuals constantly face is problems with their skin care. As your body ages, your metabolism slows sown and your skin can start to lose out on the nourishment it used to get. Your skin will become elastic and brittle and it can dry out quickly. You need to use some lotions and moisturizers that will help to nourish the skin and keep it healthy: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/category/17/. This is also why you need to watch the room temperature and try to keep them warm because the colder air temperatures will dry out their skin and it can also hurt their muscles.
Bedside assistance
When you get older, it can be difficult to get out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the bedroom. You may need a bar that can help you get out of bed in the morning and can also prevent you from rolling out of bed at night: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/category/3/.
Nutrition
Elderly patients often suffer from malnutrition and dehydration. Their taste buds are not as sensitive as they used to be and it’s common to experience problems eating because the foods don’t taste good. If you are caring for an elderly person, be sure to try nutritional supplements and prepare meals for them that will provide them with all the nourishment they need. You should also have them take daily multivitamins as they also offer great nourishment that can help their brain, muscles, heart, and other things. Include 3-5 servings of vegetables and fruits in their daily diet and be sure to include healthy carbohydrates like whole-grain pastas and breads along with 2-3 servings of protein. Sitting down and eating with your elderly loved ones will be your best option to encourage them to get healthy foods into their daily diet. Reduce the size of the plates if they have a hard time eating all the foods you put on the bigger plates. As your appetite decreases over time, it’s common to reduce the amount of food you eat.
Emotions
Facing the fact that your body cannot do all of things it used to can be frustrating and depressing. Losing your friends to illnesses and old age can also be highly emotional. If you are caring for an elderly patient, be sure to watch out for depression because it is very common among the elderly.
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