Wednesday, 10 June 2020

How Staying Organised Can Reduce Caregiver Stress During Times of Crisis

Caring for an elderly loved one can prove overwhelming at the best of times. Throw in a global crisis and it is understandable why your stress levels have skyrocketed in recent months. The secret to combatting this stress and holding onto your sense of calm? Getting and staying organised. Here are some tips.

Create a system to help you manage medication more efficiently

As seniors age, there is a good chance that the amount of medication that they need to take each day will increase. Managing this medication is challenging for even the most experienced caregivers, especially considering that most pills need to be taken at specific times. Along with organising what your relative or patient needs to take and when, you also need to keep a handle on when to refill the prescription so that you don’t run out.

The easiest way in which to manage medication is to use a weekly pill box (you might need one for am and one for pm meds), and keep a close eye on when the medication supply is coming to an end. Others prefer to use a calendar to ensure that they remain up to date in this regard. There are also a variety of smart phone applications designed to streamline medication management, many of which can be downloaded and used for free.

Invest in daily living aids

There are countless daily living aids for sale that can drastically improve your elderly loved one’s quality of life, as well as alleviate your day to day responsibilities. A good example is a cutlery set and cups created to counteract the natural shakiness experienced by Parkinson's Disease sufferers, as well as ‘reachers’ which can be used to grab nearby objects without any need to get up or bend over.

Ensure that you are prepared for emergencies

A lot of the stress that goes into caregiving is related to the increased frailty of your relative. The frailer and more vulnerable they become, the greater the chance of them suffering a fall or a health-related set-back. While you cannot predict these occurrences, you can ensure that you are prepared to act fast if they happen. It can help tremendously to keep a journal filled with details regarding their needs and health issues, along with information concerning any recent tests or labs. It is also always a good idea to pack an emergency bag with supplies and instructions for a stand-in caregiver just in case you become unwell or have another important matter to attend to.

Remember – if caregiving becomes too much to handle in conjunction with all of your other responsibilities, there is help available in the form of elderly care at home.

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