June 6, 2019
Families who partner with an experienced in-home care provider like Continuum decrease the trepidation and anxiety in managing care at home successfully.
“Of course Dad can move in with me!”
Increasingly more family care providers are making this commendable choice each and every day, signifying the beginning of lifestyle changes they can only fully understand once immersed in them. Even though the rewards of providing care for an older family member are immeasurable, they are not lacking a variety of obstacles as well.
It may seem second-nature to manage everyday activities for a senior loved one; however, it is not as easy as it appears. For instance, helping a senior into the shower or bath incorrectly may lead to a fall. Incorrect incontinence care can result in skin damage and infection. Noncompliance with a prescribed nutritional plan can cause a variety of health complications.
It’s no wonder that in a recent report shared by AARP, “Home Alone Revisited,” many family caregivers revealed anxiety regarding the possibility of making mistakes in the care they provide. The report underscores answers from a survey sent to over 2,000 family caregivers, who indicated that even though they thought their caregiving was enabling their family members to remain at home instead of moving to an assisted living or nursing home setting, they conveyed worry over their competence to perform the tasks needed.
Participants in the study said that possibly the most emotionally frustrating element of caregiving is incontinence care. And, approximately ¾ of family caregivers interviewed are consistently undertaking medical duties associated with pain management – tasks for which they wished they had received better instruction and guidance from the senior’s medical care team.
Heather Young, dean emerita at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis (and co-author of the report) says that, “Too often (family caregivers) are unprepared and do not get the support they need to assume these important roles.”
Asking for support and training in new tasks is essential for family caregivers. Families who partner with an experienced in-home care provider, such as Continuum, can decrease the trepidation and anxiety in managing care at home successfully. Our caregivers are fully trained in the countless complexities of aging care, and will provide members of the family with necessary guidance and education. We also offer safe, reliable respite care services that make it possible for family caregivers to step back from their care duties while knowing an older loved one will be safe and well cared for.
Contact the Continuum home health experts online or call us at (636) 861-3336 or (314) 863- 9912 for a complimentary in-home consultation and for additional information about how our care team can provide your family the kind of assistance in home care in St. Louis and the surrounding areas.