Tag: home attendant for the elderly

elder care homes
admin Senior Care, Senior Care service provider,

How to ensure the right care for the elderly amidst Covid-19

With the Covid-19 wave taking over the world at a tremendous pace, the health of individuals, especially children and the elderly, have been put at great risk, creating uncertainty, fear and a need to stick to the guidelines outlined by the authorities. ‘Prevention is better than cure ‘ never held more relevance than today, with social distancing, lockdowns, and curfews becoming the new norm in a fight to control the growing number of cases. Every facet of our lives are affected, the senior citizens are even more exposed to the potential threats pertaining to their emotional, physical and social wellbeing. 

According to reports and statistics, the risk of mortality and susceptibility to the coronavirus for older people is at a far greater magnitude, making it essential for the right care to be deployed to them, whether it be within one’s home, elder care homes or retirement homes. The distance from loved ones, unavailability of skilled home attendant for the elderly, existing medical conditions, make the whole situation more challenging, magnifying the gravity of the impact both in terms of a possibility of worsening state of health and the quality of daily living. The same isolation needed to contain the spread of the virus can become the cause of many other issues for the aged, thus there is a dire need for urgent attention to the elderly’s psycho-social health. Following are the few ways in which the right support can be ensured for the seniors during these tough and challenging times:

Maintaining the elderly’s dignity & respect

During this especially sensitive time, it is essential to make the elderly feel acknowledged and heard through rightful communication. The ongoing circumstances might emotionally drain you, but being responsive, respectful, attentive to the various needs of the elderly would positively impact the psychological and emotional health of the seniors. The last thing you would want to do to aggravate their situation is to disregard them and treat them with disrespect, something which shouldn’t take a global pandemic for you to realize. 

Following the prescribed rules

Abiding by the rules and guidelines released by the authorities is not something to be contemplated but followed positively. When the impact of your actions can travel to other people in the form of onset of symptoms of a deadly disease, maintaining social distancing should not be an idea to be toyed with and moulded as per one’s convenience. The most basic way one can ensure the elderly’s betterment during Covid-19 is by not becoming the probable cause of virus transmission by observing rules you are supposed to follow.   

Including them in the conversation

Answer the questions the elders of your family have from you and make them an active part of the conversation by enlightening them about the various guidelines and measures conveyed by the authorities. Make them aware of sanitizing, keeping away from stoves when applying alcohol-based sanitizers, and maintaining basic hygiene.

Seeking the help of technology

Understand the medical requirement of the elderly and make the required preparations, like booking online consultations or telephonic appointments with doctors as per their condition. Discuss with their doctors the best way moving forward to keep their body healthy and their medical condition from deteriorating.

Social distancing, not social isolation

Social distancing should not be confused with social isolation. It should be ensured that the sudden disruptions in the elderly’s daily life like visiting a temple, walking in the garden, sitting in parks, doesn’t cause any negative repercussions on their mental peace. Help them keep in touch with relatives and friends, grandkids, children in the family through video calls to bring about an environment of joy where they are occupied with something they enjoy.  

Keeping stock of medicines

Depending upon the health of the elderly, they could be heavily dependent on daily medication for basic functioning and to prevent it from getting hampered; it is crucial to stock up on their prescriptions medicines as advised by the doctor. Also, keep an eye on the expiry dates of these medicines and don’t engage in panic buying. Be proactive about it while maintaining reason and caution.

Keeping them occupied & engaged

Make the senior citizens indulge in activities as basic as watering the plants, playing with kids, reading books, knitting, cleaning the bookshelf, helping with little chores around the house, to not let the feeling of isolation overpower them. Avoid them from participating in strenuous activities as something mild but engaging would do without running the risk of an injury. 

Spreading positivity

Keep your home environment, mind and things surrounding you like social media to be free from negativity. Ensure the same for your ageing loved ones by not spreading false rumours and forwards on platforms like WhatsApp.  

Ensuring optimal rest, activity & nutrition

Proper sleep, adequate nutrition and optimal intensity of exercises are important to be maintained the way they were before lockdown or social distancing. Seniors can do yoga, meditation and other forms of low-intensity activities to enable good health of their body and some break from the monotonous routine of daily life while being restricted in the four walls of one’s home.

Senior Care Genie provides holistic solutions for the elderly that includes guiding families with better decision making regarding the optimal care for their ageing loved ones, the formalities associated with the transition & move-in process to care homes, at-home blood investigations and skilled nursing support and medical equipment for the elderly at their homes. We are working to create a better future for the elderly where all aspects of their wellbeing are maintained by empowering one family at a time with the right information, assistance and resources.

elder care home
admin Senior Care, Senior Care Consultation, Senior Care service provider,

Importance of seeking help and assistance for the elderly at the right time

It is the family member’s responsibility to seek medical assistance for the elderly as they are often reluctant to get the right help themselves. Increased physical, pathological and neurological problems are prominent in older age that at times necessitates at-home nursing care and GDA support. Identifying the early signs of symptoms in the elderly, getting it diagnosed and then providing a supportive, empathetic and suitable environment for them to recuperate and live a quality life becomes important with the decision still remaining quite complex. The process can be time-consuming, challenging, but still remains a decision that cannot be delayed for long to avoid deterioration of the condition of their loved one’s condition.   

Mental health issues in older adults

The most commonly diagnosed mental health issues in the elderly are anxiety and depression. Many family members or caregivers live in denial that senior citizens can face mental health issues, but the truth is illnesses like dementia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease are more prevalent in the older population. These are often overlooked and unnoticed, resulting in enhanced chances of mishappenings and even self-harm tendencies in the aged. 

Statistics even show that there are a number of elderly suffering in silence, who need thorough monitoring, unfaltering attention and help with activities of daily lives. The absence of the right care not only adversely affects their life but also the other people associated with them. It can result in them feeling isolated, helpless and even in situations where the specific physical or mental problem gets out of hand. Herein, at-home care provided by a trained staff skilled in the specific condition of the elderly can be beneficial in improving their health outcomes, whereas assisted living homes can provide them with a conducive environment and community to improve their quality of living. Seeking the proper assistance at the correct time can make a massive difference in the comfort of living for the elderly in the future. 

  1. Providing care to the elderly by appointing the right nursing care and GDA support ensures professional management of the specific condition and complete attention to the elderly. It would ensure that your loved ones’ wellbeing is taken up as the priority that an expert skilled for meeting their specific needs as family members might be unable to offer unwavering attention to their ageing loved ones. 
  2. A proper schedule of medical appointments, a caregiver who can provide them medicines on time, and a healthy routine to follow all physician guidelines is the basic requirement of enhancing their physical wellness. 
  3. Assisted living homes or elderly care services at home provide support from a community of like-minded people that understand each other. One might feel isolated and shut off from society as they age, further affecting their recovery, overall health and mental state, but the social communications and interactions that elderly living homes have as a part of their amenities can alleviate that issue.