Five Ways To Maintain Mental Health Whilst Caring For The Elderly

Caring for the elderly can make for a very rewarding job, whether it is paid employment in a nursing or retirement home or for an elderly relative who can no longer look after his or herself. However, it can also be a mentally challenging role that you find exhausting to the point of despair. It takes someone special with infinite patience and caring. This is negotiable if it is a family member.

If it is someone else's relative then it is harder to develop those qualities than if it is your own flesh and blood. Regardless of who you are caring for though, it is absolutely necessary to do all you can to preserve your own mental health and that of your patient. There are ways and means of achieving this, and below are listed just five of the most popular ones for you to try:

1. Take regular breaks - Taking a break from the elderly person or people that you are caring for can give you chance to relax away from the stress that the job inevitably puts on you. This could be a five-minute break whilst you are working or a day off doing something that you love. Taking a breather will not only benefit you but also the person that you are caring for. It will allow you both to gather your thoughts without causing resentment on either side.

2. Take part in activities that you both enjoy - These are commonly referred to as bonding activities because they capitalize on the common interests you share and build a strong foundation for you to coexist on. If you are looking after a stranger then this is essential in getting to know them properly. If you are looking after a family member then you are likely to give him or her joy just by spending that relaxing time there. 

3. Come to an arrangement that suits you both - It is unlikely that the elderly person you are caring for wants you in their home every hours of every day. Some will want you at their beck and call, but the majority like their own space and will only enjoy spending time with you up to a point. Independence is very important to the majority of elderly people, especially when they may feel that it is being taken away from them. Always respect their wishes by coming to some arrangement as to when you will drop by and what you will be doing together on a particular day. Of course, this doesn't apply to those caring for he elderly in retirement homes.

4. Establish a routine - Establishing a routine will help you both to understand exactly where you are with each other. Some elderly people like a routine because it helps them to anticipate your activities. Breaking from that routine may unsettle them and provoke negative feelings towards you and your role. Seniors also have a habit of loathing anything new and a routine is reassuring to them because it ensures that nothing new will be introduced without their consent.

5. Seek professional help - If you find that caring for the elderly is getting too much for you and you are becoming depressed as a result then speak to a professional counsellor who can help you to talk through your feelings. Unloading them will lift the weight off your shoulders once in a while and help to enable you to continue your role as a caregiver.

None of these tips are guaranteed to work for you because they all depend on individual circumstances. You have to find out what works for you.

Maintaining Independence Whilst Caring For The Elderly

Sometimes, when caring for an elderly relative, it can be hard to know what to do for the best. If you are a caregiver, you are generally and solely responsible for the health of the person under your care, which makes it hard to make decisions that concern their welfare. However, when that person is a member of your family it becomes even harder to deal with. You have known that person inside out for most of your life and so it is easy to remember what sort of person they were before mental or physical disability kicked in. That may actually cloud your judgement. One thing that shouldn't be hard for you to decide upon is their independence. Whether a family member is physically or mentally disabled, you should always try to promote their independence as far as possible.

Where caring for the elderly is concerned, there are two techniques relating to their independence. The first is promotion and the second is maintenance. You should do all you can within your power to promote and/or maintain the independence of any elderly person in need of care. Promotion of independence is largely encouraging them to do as much as they can for themselves, even if it is met with reluctance or downright stubbornness. Maintenance of independence is making sure that any willingness to do something for themselves is encouraged and that they are put in a position to follow through with that willingness. 

Maintaining and promoting independence can give an elderly person a sense of achievement and can even prevent them giving up on life completely. They are not totally dependent on one person in their own eyes then because they can still do something for themselves, even if it is just walking a few steps or doing the washing up. Even if they have to be supervised, this will not detract from their achievement. If someone is having a caregiver do absolutely everything for them then they will lose the ability to do anything for themselves, and in extreme circumstances it can lead to a reaction against the caregiver. Feelings of helplessness and futility can cause rebellion and even violence as a result of their frustrations, and that in turn will then be focused on the person closest to them - you!

The nature of independence is largely dependent on the nature of an individual's disability. If someone is physically disabled then you should do all you can to promote activities that they can carry out, like helping with the shopping, writing letters or making calls. If an individual is mentally disabled then washing up, cutting his or her own dinner or going to the toilet alone may be in order. Obviously this varies from person to person because it is necessary to assess what they are capable of before trying any of these things. The last thing you want is to put them in danger of any sort. Alternatively, trying these actions under supervision could help you to decide, especially if you have no previous frame of reference within the world of caring.

The maintenance of independence is one of the most important aspects of caring, regardless of who it is that you are looking after. It can form the basis of your relationship with the person under your supervision and they will appreciate it, even if they reluctantly carry out the tasks that you set them. If you work via the philosophy of promoting independence then you will not go far wrong and everything else will just slot into place.

Maintaining The Safety Of Seniors In Your Care

Looking after the elderly can be a bit like looking after young and curious children - you need eyes in the back of your head and the ability to see through walls! Whether the elderly person that you are caring for is mentally or physically disabled, your primary concern is their safety. However, unfortunately for you, this is very rarely their primary concern. Individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's Disease, for example, do not have a sense of their own mortality at all. They are mentally incapable of thinking through the dangers of any situation and are neither logical nor reasonable with their thoughts. As a result, you must be concerned about their safety enough for you and them at all times.

Within the home, you should make all of the necessary amenities available to the senior in your care without exposing them to any danger. It is much like baby proofing a room when you have a toddler walking around. The elderly person that you look after may also be into everything if they are mentally handicapped. People in the latter stages of dementia may wander continuously and refuse point blank to sit down.

In the event of this occurring, you should remove all tripping hazards such as mats and small units that they could trip over. You should also avoid having any open heating devices such as electrical fires because these can cause more trouble and destruction than they are worth. However, a bathroom should be available to them at all times, as should an appropriate place to sit just in case they exhaust themselves.

If a person is physically disabled, then you should allow them to rest in the most appropriate spot in the room, granting them access to their source of entertainment as well as warmth. However, you should not cut them off from any source of communication because if they need you and are unable to reach you then they may attempt physical feats that are beyond their abilities. This could cause falls. You must also ensure that they are safe within their chair or bed, having the appropriate rests either side of them to prevent slipping and falls.

If you take your elderly charge out and about then you should have the same sort of measure in place because you have to fully concentrate in order to anticipate danger before it actually happens. Take every step slowly and do not hurry anyone with a disability. It may cause them to panic and fall, or cause a scene. Always make sure that they are warmly dressed if it is winter and have layers on if it is summer and always attempt to comply with their wishes. If a physically disabled senior does not think that he or she can handle the activity that you propose then you will more than likely be informed of that fact. However, you have to assess the abilities of a mentally impaired individual to be able to make an informed decision about whether your suggestion is appropriate or not.

Regardless of whether you are looking after an elderly person in the home or on an outing, you should always remember that there is one key to the process of assuring their safety. Communication is that key. If your senior cannot tell you whether they feel safe or not, you should be able to identify any signs of distress or fear effectively. If you can get to the point where you can achieve that, then you should feel confident in your role as guardian and protector of their safety.

Taking Care Of Yourself As Well As The Elderly

Caring for an elderly member of your family is a huge responsibility that very few people actually take on today. It is to be commended for so many reasons, especially when you consider just how much caregivers do give up to dedicate themselves to their family. When you do accept the task of looking after an individual family member who is no longer capable of taking care of his or herself, the key element to remember is that you have no idea just how long that commitment will be. It could be months, it could be years, but either way you will be mentally exhausted and close to burnout within a few weeks of beginning your role as primary caregiver.

The role of primary caregiver is an all consuming one that will quickly take over your life. There is no way to avoid this and, despite all of your best efforts, it is unavoidable. The problem is that you will find it difficult to actually switch off and thus will find it essential to rest every now and again, whether that means getting away for a few days or taking a break within your own home. Either way, just like an ordinary full time job, you will need to recharge your batteries because they will get very low very quickly.

Before you can think about when you will take a break, you must make arrangements to have your elderly relative taken care of in your absence. There are a few options when it comes to this element of your own personal care. The first is respite placements in a retirement home. Many homes actually reserve rooms solely for respite cases in order for families to have a rest from the constant demands that are placed upon them. You can view the home in question before booking a place, and all of the homes with this specific facility will be listed at the local authority offices in your area as well as being available via search facilities on the Internet.

Another option is getting home help or home care in for the time that you are away or taking a break. Home help will visit up to three times a day for approximately an hour to wash, dress and feed your relative. However, they will not remain with them round the clock. Another version of this is home care, which means that your relative will have someone there for a longer period of time but again not at his or her beck and call around the clock. If you spend a lot of time with your relative then this not be the best option to give you peace of mind, and of course it all depends on how able your relative is to begin with.

The final option is actually getting another member of your family to help out for a few days, just to relieve you of your duties for the time being. It would possibly be easier to hand over the reigns because there would be less chance that they could not be brought up to speed with developments and routines. You could also reach them at a moment's notice and have peace of mind that your elderly relative was being cared for. This is all dependent on getting a volunteer at all, let alone one that you could trust with that task.

Caring For The Elderly And Incontinence

Incontinence is an issue that very few people like to talk about. It is more common than you may think, with over 12 million United States residents suffering from it every day. People of all ages can suffer from the inconvenient and embarrassing condition, but the majority of those who do feel the effects of it are over the age of sixty. It is also much more common in women than it is in men. This is largely owing to the fact that it is the women who have children and thus the muscles that control leakage from the bladder often let them down. If you are planning to or already do care for the elderly then it is an issue that you will have to face sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, the elderly are at risk of having at least one of the many causes of incontinence. These include, but are not limited to weakened pelvic muscles, urinary tract infections, an enlarged prostate gland in men, diabetes, high calcium levels within the body, a thinning of the vagina wall in women and an inability to move around. Most elderly people have at least one of the above, if not a combination of them and thus they cannot control their urinary functioning. 

There are four different type of incontinence, and the elderly may suffer with all four if their pelvic muscles are particularly weak. They are stress, urge, functional and overflow. The pressure put on the bladder by the stomach muscles when laughing or sneezing usually causes stress incontinence. Functional incontiencence occurs when somebody cannot get to the toilet in time but generally has good bladder control. Overflow incontinence predominantly occurs in males with an enlarged prostate, which blocks the urinary tract to the point that bladder actually becomes overly full. All of these occur in the elderly, but the most common form of it is urge incontinence, where the person is not actually given enough warning before they have to go.

Unfortunately, incontinence is not necessarily treatable in the elderly. Younger people who suffer from incontinence can do a series of exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles or practice bladder control exercises. However, it is unreasonable to expect the elderly to do this. Medication is available to help to stem the problem, especially if the senior in question has a bladder, kidney or urinary tract infection, but it is not advisable for diabetics to take it and it may actually make symptoms worse. It is a natural part of aging and should be accepted as such really.

This doesn't help you if you are caring for someone who suffers from incontinence. You may well find yourself changing him or her every hour or so, which would also create a sense of embarrassment and discomfort for the individual in question. This also runs the risk of getting pressure sores. However, you can purchase incontinence pad that work much the same as nappies, absorbing moisture and sealing it away from the body. Although it may not feel comfortable to wear them, it may certainly be much better than sitting in wet clothes.

Incontinence is an unfortunate problem for many members of the elderly population because it is a result of the body breaking down. It is just a matter of learning how to cope with it without making the senior you care for feel too embarrassed and ashamed. That is totally dependent on the individual.

Taking Seniors In Your Care On Outings

If you are caring for the elderly in any capacity then you will understand the importance of getting out of the same four walls for a time. It is important for your mental sanity because sitting in the same place for a few hours can send you stir crazy! Well, just put yourself in the shoes of the senior that you are caring for. The same four walls may well be the only environment they see for days on end. This would not be helping their mental health at all and thus it is important that they too get out once in while. With a little planning, outings can be a fun and welcome distraction from their mundane lives as well as helping their progress if they are in recovery from an illness.

If you do plan on taking the senior in your care on an outing then you must be well prepared before the actual day comes. There can be very little spontaneous about going on an outing because of the amount of bases that you must consider before you take him or her out. You must firstly have vetted the activity to make sure that it is suitable for the individual in you care. For example, it is no use taking an individual in a wheelchair swimming unless the local pool has special disabled facilities because the last thing that your elderly charge would want to do is sit and watch you have fun whilst they are bored!

Taking walks in the park or around the local area, shopping and day trips are excellent outings to take seniors in your care on. All of them give the senior a sense of freedom, which is something that their deteriorating state has probably already stripped them of. In this way, they promote a sense of contentment and comfort as well as soothing boredom. However, you must make sure that wherever you are planning to go can accommodate the seniors in you are. Do they have wheelchair access? Can you park easily? How accessible are the toilets? All of these questions and many more have to be answered before you arrange anything.

Before leaving the house, you must make sure that you are prepared for any eventuality. All medications should be taken with you just in case you are still out when they are supposed to be administered. You should also have something to eat in your bag and the senior in your care should be wearing appropriate clothing. After you have finished going through all of the checklists, it is likely that you will be shattered and want to stay in!

When you do get out on your trip, you will not have a moment's peace. It may be relaxing for the senior in your care, but it will not be the same for you. You constantly have to watch for hazards and anticipate any problems before they actually occur. Having said that, your reward will come from actually seeing the pleasure on the face of the person you care for. There is no better feeling in the world than seeing someone you care for smile when they actually have little to smile about.

Outings really do make a nice change for the elderly people that you are caring for and should be integrated into your routine on a regular basis. The feelings that outings provoke are generally all positive, which ultimately will help you get through the preparations. Everyone needs to get out once in a while and seniors are no different so take the opportunity for them!