{"id":1916,"date":"2016-07-09T03:22:20","date_gmt":"2016-07-09T03:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=1916"},"modified":"2016-07-09T03:22:20","modified_gmt":"2016-07-09T03:22:20","slug":"golden-rules-to-follow-to-provide-the-best-care-for-your-elderly-relative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/golden-rules-to-follow-to-provide-the-best-care-for-your-elderly-relative\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden rules to follow to provide the best care for your elderly relative"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most of us, family is everything. As relatives get older, they may require more assistance. You may be lending a helping hand to a grandparent or aunt. Or, after years of being looked after by loving parents, you may suddenly find yourself caring for your mum or dad<\/a>. Caring for others can be hard work. There may be times when you feel like you\u2019re not up to the job. But hang in there and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some golden rules to follow to help you provide the best care for your elderly relative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elderly<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE SOURCE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

WORK WITH OTHERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have a family member in need of care, <\/span>work with others<\/span><\/a>. Liaise with health professionals. This will help you to ascertain what kind of medical treatment and assistance they require. Work alongside social care agencies to ensure that your parent or grandparent has access to the kind of care they need. Does your family member have health conditions, which require specialist nursing care? Would they benefit from a visit from a carer once a day while you\u2019re at work? If you adopt a collaborative approach, you\u2019ll find that you have the support you need, as well as your relative. It\u2019s important that you ask for help if you need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re part of a large family, or you have close family friends, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for favors. If you haven\u2019t got time to get groceries for your mum, could your brother go to the shop for you? Could somebody take the kids to school for you if your mum\u2019s having a bad day? Could your siblings come and sit with your dad for a while so that you can have a break? If you don\u2019t have this kind of support around you, this is where social care agencies and charitable organizations may come in handy. If you\u2019re struggling, or you notice changes in your relative\u2019s health, it\u2019s essential to have somebody at the end of the phone. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elderly<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE SOURCE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

PROMOTE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not possible to prevent all illnesses. But there are things you can do to lower your risk of serious health problems. If you care for a relative at home, or you pop in and help them in their own home, try and promote healthy lifestyle choices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diet<\/span><\/a> is a very important factor. Try and encourage healthy eating by filling the cupboards with nutritious foods. If your loved one struggles to make their own meals, arrange for someone to visit at mealtimes so that they can help out in the kitchen. Focus on simple, quick recipes. If you don\u2019t have other family members to rely on, you could arrange for a carer to call in and help prepare main meals and snacks. You may find that doctors recommend supplements. This may apply in cases where illness or poor health might result in nutrient deficiencies. If you\u2019re not sure what to buy, ask a pharmacist or the doctor for advice. <\/span><\/p>\n

Smoking and drinking can be hugely detrimental to your health. This is particularly true if you\u2019re older, or you have underlying health problems. It can be tough to get older people to change the habits of a lifetime. But it\u2019s worth trying. If your loved one shows an interest in giving up drinking or smoking, support them and find out about methods that can help. Nicotine replacement therapy may be an effective solution or long-term smokers, for example. Your doctor will be able to advise you. <\/span><\/p>\n

Physical activity<\/span><\/a> has incredible benefits for all ages. Try and encourage your loved one to do as much exercise as they can manage. Even a short walk once a day could do them a power of good. If your relative is still very active and they enjoy getting out and about, why not encourage them to try different sports or <\/span>take up a new hobby<\/span><\/a>? Swimming, golf, and tennis are all popular choices for older people. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even if your loved one is limited when it comes to exercise, you can still help them to stay as active as possible. It may be useful to find out about mobility aids, including wheelchairs and zimmer frames.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elderly<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE SOURCE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

ENCOURAGE SOCIALIZATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people can feel isolated as they get older. If your loved ones are still able to get out and about, encourage them to make plans and get in touch with friends and family. Socialization is really important for <\/span>mental health and wellbeing<\/span><\/a>. Even grabbing a coffee with a friend from time to time can do wonders for your mood. If your parents can\u2019t drive and you aren\u2019t there to offer lifts all the time, there are other options. You could research local buses or include trips out and transport as part of their social care package.<\/span><\/p>\n

If getting out on a regular basis is a struggle, you could show your relatives how to communicate with their friends using email and text messages. Many older people are now also proficient in the use of social media. This makes maintaining contact much easier and helps to reduce the risk of social isolation. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elderly<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE SOURCE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you get older, it\u2019s common for your health to deteriorate. Medical appointments are an important means of enabling health professionals to keep tabs on your loved one\u2019s health. If they have underlying health issues, they may be advised to go for regular appointments. Even if they have a clean bill of health, and they just need a little assistance now and again, routine visits to the doctor are recommended. It\u2019s also wise to organize regular dental and eye care checks. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you sometimes struggle to get to appointments, you could take a look <\/span>at Ride-Right.net<\/span><\/a>. Specialist transport services will cater for your relative\u2019s needs<\/span>, <\/span>and ensure they get from A to B safely. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elderly<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE SOURCE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not easy taking care of an <\/span>elderly relative<\/span><\/a>, especially if you have kids, or you work. Hopefully, these golden rules will enable you to provide the best care for your loved one. Focus on their health and wellbeing. But take time for yourself. Ask for help, and share the load with other family members. Maintain close contact with health workers and social care providers. Promote healthy living and try and encourage an active social life. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most of us, family is everything. As relatives get older, they may require more assistance. You may be lending a helping hand to a grandparent or aunt. Or, after years of being looked after by loving parents, you may suddenly find yourself caring for your mum or dad. Caring for others can be hard work. There may be times when you feel like you\u2019re not up to the job. But hang in there and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help. Here are some golden rules to follow to help you provide the best care for your elderly relative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,35],"tags":[943,1114,1115,19,20],"class_list":["post-1916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness-2","category-wellness-2","tag-aging","tag-care-for-the-aging","tag-elderly-care","tag-health","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1916"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1922,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1916\/revisions\/1922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}