Being a caregiver for an elderly person is not an easy task. Caregivers must prepare themselves to ensure smooth care. There are three key areas to consider:
1. Knowledge and Understanding of the Elderly
As people age, their physical, emotional, and mental states change. These changes impact the elderly’s life and may impact the caregiver and their family in some way. Learning and understanding these physical changes is the first step towards a better understanding between the caregiver and the elderly. For example, if an elderly person has difficulty hearing, the caregiver may need to speak louder and repeat the same things multiple times. Some people experience forgetfulness, asking the same questions repeatedly or telling the same stories several times a day.
In addition to physical changes, the elderly’s emotional and mental health may be particularly vulnerable, leading to poor mental health and physical effects, including insomnia, loss of appetite, and weakness. Therefore, it is essential to learn to prepare and prepare for both the elderly and their caregivers. For example, the elderly may experience depression, irritability, paranoia, anxiety, anger, and self-centeredness due to hormonal imbalances. Elderly people may also experience repetitive thoughts, hesitation, paranoia, and obsession with themselves. This includes past, present, and future events, and most worry about their children or grandchildren abandoning them. Some may exhibit behavioral changes, such as being self-centered and acting like children or teenagers, also known as “regressing.” These behaviors can be overwhelming and cause boredom.
2. Physical Health Preparation
Caring for an elderly person requires good physical health. Therefore, maintain good physical health and exercise regularly. This can include light exercises at home, such as aerobic stretching or yoga, or finding time to work up a sweat outside, such as running or brisk walking.
3. Mental and emotional preparation
This is crucial. Caring for an elderly person can cause caregivers to feel fatigued, exhausted, and bored due to limited personal time or limited social interaction with others. This can lead to stress and unhappiness, especially for elderly people who are ill and unable to care for themselves or bedridden patients. Therefore, changing attitudes and accepting their status with open arms is a good opportunity to repay their benefactors. This time spent together creates positive feelings for each other, which can relieve stress and pressure.