How Do Caregivers for Seniors Provide Essential Support?

Caregivers have different tasks depending on the person that they're caring for. Elderly care varies.

 While this isn't true for everyone, many caregivers need to make meals for the people in their care. It may be too difficult for their client to cook homemade meals for themselves, so caregivers need to know how to cook healthy and nutritious meals. Caregivers may also be responsible for household tasks like light cleaning.

Caregivers need to help their clients with personal care if they have mobility issues or advanced mental health concerns. These things include bathing, using the restroom, and getting dressed. Active seniors may want help with activities like exercise.

Seniors often need more supervision than other adults. While it's inappropriate to think of them as children, they still need to be observed to ensure that they stay safe from falls, that they don't wander, and that they have everything that they need.

 A good caregiver knows that elderly care means providing emotional support. Ageing is a lonely process, and caregivers are often the primary social outlet for seniors. Caregivers are companions, and many of them develop strong bonds with their clients.

Finally, caregivers need to know how to provide general support for health issues. This means that they need to be familiar with the client's medications, their health concerns, and what a medical emergency looks like (as well as how to handle it). 

Caregiving isn't always easy. While it's a fulfilling career, it comes with pitfalls. 

Senior citizens are unique people, and like all people, they have personalities that may clash with the caregiver. They can be demanding, condescending, combative, or otherwise unpleasant if personalities don't mesh well.

Caregiving is often an around-the-clock job. While it may seem simple to stay in someone's home and provide support for them, there are many seniors who need extra care. While caregivers provide respite for family members, there isn't always someone who can provide respite for caregivers.

On a daily basis, caregivers can experience tantrums, health emergencies, and days where there are more responsibilities than normal. They may face challenging family members.

 We'll discuss some of the physical and mental health challenges that come alongside caregiving later, but in short, it's a tough career path that deserves more respect. 

Being a caregiver is often an exercise in patience. Caregivers need to understand that their clients have needs that may be unexpected or challenging.

It's easy to be condescending or irritable with clients when things aren't going to plan. Instead, caregivers need to take a few moments to think about their actions and slow down to match the pace of the people in their care. 

On the topic of avoiding irritability, empathy is a key quality of anyone who wants to be a good caregiver.

 Seniors are battling challenges that caregivers can't yet understand on a personal level. They're struggling with their mental health, potential cognitive decline, and a lack of mobility.

Remember that these people were once young. These new challenges are frustrating. Caregivers need to consider how they would feel in the position of their clients and respond accordingly. 

Caregiving requires a lot of communication, and sometimes that communication isn't straightforward.

 Caregivers need to know how to read body language. Not all seniors are great at explaining their needs. They may have too much pride or they may have a genuine inability to voice what they're thinking. 

They need to learn how to talk in a calm manner and respond well even when the client isn't doing the same. They also need to know how to communicate with family members, healthcare professionals, and other caregivers. 

When under prolonged stress, a person's body will experience physical health problems. These can include weakened immunity, prolonged fatigue, and aches and pains. 

Because caregivers often pay less attention to their own wellbeing, they may be more susceptible to illnesses that they'd otherwise catch onto. They may even experience heart problems from prolonged stress and anxiety.

Watching a client or a parent age is difficult. As they decline, caregivers may start to mourn them even while they're alive. People go through many changes as they age.

For professional caregivers, they see many clients in their lifetimes. While they understand that the work that they do is crucial, it isn't easy to see so many people who are nearing the end of their lives.

Many caregivers experience depression and anxiety. Without appropriate social support or counselling, it's not sustainable. It's important that caregivers learn coping mechanisms and have enough support for their mental health. 

Caregivers who aren't caregiving as a career often don't get enough training and support. They may feel overwhelmed and underprepared for the challenges of caregiving. This can increase burnout symptoms and cause them to give up.

Someone who is caregiving for a family member may not get enough financial support. While there are sometimes stipends available for caregivers, many people can't get by without having a full-time career. Because caregiving takes up so much time, it's impossible to maintain a career while also taking care of the elderly.