Watching your parents grow old can be tough, especially when they’ve lived an alert life. Seeing them suddenly unable to do basic activities and get tired quickly is not easy to cope with, but you can provide them with love and care to get through difficult times. To get more information about aged care homes melbourne visit Medical & Aged Care Group.
Of course, every family decides differently in regard to caring for elders, so you may want to take them to homecare for seniors if everyone’s schedule is hectic. However, if you can and want to take the matter into your own hands, you can become your parents’ caretaker. Stepping in brings a lot of responsibilities, so you must have realistic expectations about it and be wary of caregiver burnout that manifests as tiredness, anxiety and depression linked with taking care of someone.
So, here’s what you should expect upon taking this role and how to avoid making your parents feel like a burden.
Adapt depending on their medical conditions
As people grow older, they develop problems triggered by previous issues and the likeliness to inherit affection from their parents. Therefore, elders can develop dementia, chronic illness, and multiple sclerosis or live with traumatic brain injuries, each requiring special conditions around the house to make their lives easier.
Seniors with dementia need better indoor lighting to reduce their risk of falling. At the same time, the house should be adequately isolated to stop noises from disturbing them. Finally, labels and signs are necessary when they’re alone at home.
On the other hand, adapting the home for people with multiple sclerosis requires minor changes in every room, such as a shower bench in the bathroom and non-slip mats in the kitchen. A stairlift is helpful in the living room for your parents to reach other rooms easily.
Announce all the relatives about the situation
If you decide to care for your parents single-handedly, it would be best to discuss with other family members about the process, costs and expectations, especially if your parents suffer from mental issues. Ideally, you must keep a stable routine for them to avoid panic attacks and confusion, which must be maintained even when relatives visit.
For instance, try not to force their memory on remembering someone’s spouse or cousin; just try to play with the situation and create a flow. At the same time, deciding how you will share various payments is vital, from the stairlift prices Canada to the weekly groceries.
Collaborating with your family and making everyone understand the situation is best. However, sometimes dealing with relatives can be challenging if they’re not open to contributing to financial or physical requirements.
Be prepared to do a lot of housework
Among the numerous responsibilities of a caretaker, doing housework may be one of the most strenuous. Depending on how advanced the seniors’ condition is, you may need to do more or less, but helping with their daily routine is inevitably necessary. For instance, they might need help to brush their hair, bathe or even get dressed.
The routine continues with helping them take their medication correctly as they can forget or lack the knowledge on the correct order. Then, you may need to prepare meals, whether everyday dishes or special ones, if they follow a diet.
You must also monitor their condition sometimes, such as using a system to check glucose levels or one that captures an EKG in a few seconds. Sometimes, you need to track the times they’ve eaten or their sleep patterns.
Get enough financial assistance
Struggling with finances as your parent’s caregiver can be a real challenge. If you don’t have other relatives or they won’t help with money, you must seek additional financing resources to help mitigate the problem and offer your parents comfort. Besides paying the bills, you should expect to cover medical appointments and ensure up-to-date insurance plans.
However, there are a few government benefits you might have access to, but you must check their requirements in Canada to ensure eligibility. There are many services for disability coverage or military veteran assistance.
You might also find ageing agencies that provide all kinds of funding locally, but you may need to seek international help for special occasions. This also implies you manage the income well and know what’s necessary for their well-being, which can be stressful initially.
Learn to accept their condition
Although physical problems require a lot of strength to lift them or carry their belongings, it may be more difficult to face their mental condition, especially when they’re entirely different from what you once knew. People with Alzheimer’s or dementia might be prone to poor judgment and, therefore, make poor decisions or say wrongful things to you. They must not be judged for it because it’s not their fault.
At the same time, you might notice severe mood swings in some seniors with mental issues, leading to personality changes, so they might be more anxious, fearful and confused than a regular older adult. Handling these intense emotions is overwhelming for them, but it will be more challenging to control for your well-being, which you need to prepare for.
Seeking therapy or someone’s support is vital for not making them feel like a burden, especially when returning to their regular way of being. However, dealing with caregiver burnout isn’t easy, as you’ll also feel anxious, frustrated, negative and finally, left alone with no help.
Caregiver burnout is the effect of a long-term lack of control, which you will experience. Plus, you might confuse your actual role, so expectations are poor. Therefore, when you are overwhelmed by too many responsibilities, your feelings will be overwhelming, and you might not even recognize the burnout symptoms. That’s why you need some self-care to sustain your parents’ healthy life.
Final considerations
Becoming the primary caregiver of your older parents doesn’t seem to be that difficult because you’ve known them for life and know what to expect. However, seniors with different physical or mental issues will act strangely compared to their true personalities, so you must set realistic expectations and try to be kind to yourself.