Caring for Your Elderly Loved One ~ 5 Areas of Concern

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Caring for your Elderly Loved One

5 Important Considerations to take into account

As our loved ones grow older, it’s hard to switch from being the cared-for to the carer.
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And many people say that looking after elderly loved ones is a tedious mental dilemma. You have to walk the line between looking after them and letting them make their own choices.
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Caring for your elderly loved one can also take over your life and take a mental and emotional strain on you.
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You might think it’s selfish to think about yourself in situations where your loved ones need the care, but you need to look after yourself too.
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Around 15 million people in the UK are considered elderly. And with the life expectancy of the average person steadily rising, it’s safe to say that the majority of families have elderly people who are in need of some extra care.
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Below are 5 considerations to take into account when caring for your elderly loved one.
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Caring for Your Elderly Loved One: Concern #1
Physical Exercise

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Physical exercise for the elderly is just as important as exercise for anyone else. Just because they might not be able to move as they once did, doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be moving at all.
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There are so many exercises that they can do, and you can help them do. These will help will keep them active and independent for longer.
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Simple movements like arm rotations and stepping will help circulation and can reduce blood clots from forming. Regular exercise can also help reduce the effects of arthritis.
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Caring for Your Elderly Loved One: Concern #2
Mental Health and Stimulation
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Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise.
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We spend the majority of our lives in education and then in working environments where we constantly use our brains. We get mental stimulation through puzzles, quizzes, reading and games.
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But when you get older, we lose a lot of our mental capabilities. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and general memory confusion are conditions that can often affect the elderly. However, mental workouts can help slow the process.
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Everydayhealth.com have some great ways of boosting your memory retention. Completing puzzles, playing board games, or introducing crosswords and sudoku to your loved one’s life can really help them.
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What about their mental health? If they live alone, loneliness can easily set in and turn into depression. The older generation tends to not talk about their mental health. This is purely because they were brought up in a society that was not open about these issues. Encouraging them to address this issue can help.
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Retirement villages are great ways for older people to retain their independence. It’s a place filled with people their own age, with plenty of activities for them to get involved in.
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Caring for Your Elderly Loved One: Concern #3
Get Extra Help
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You might find that you just can’t do it on your own – and there’s no shame in that. You may very likely find that your loved one may need more time than you have to give.
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Similar to many people in your situation, you probably have a full-time job, and maybe even children to look after. The solution is to look for extra help.
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The degree of care your loved one needs will determine the type of carer you need. You might just need someone to pop in on a morning and evening. Or you might need someone to stay overnight. In certain cases, you might need someone there permanently.
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Liveincarer.org gives great advice on caring for an elderly person including: what a carer does; whether or not your loved one needs a live in carer at all.
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Getting a carer to come to your loved one’s home is great for them. This is because the elderly person remains in their own familiar surroundings. However, that might not be enough.

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Retirement homes and villages differ in the level of independence offered to elderly people living in them.
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A retirement village allows them to have their own flat, and essentially look after themselves. There is the support of on-site carers if this is needed.
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A retirement home is a great option if they need more round-the-clock care. This is especially important if it’s specialist care they require if they suffer from ailments like dementia.
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In such medical situations, retirement homes are better equipped to handle any situation than the person’s home.
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Caring for Your Elderly Loved One: Concern #4
Include Supplements

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Maintaining a healthy diet tops the list in terms of importance. As our bodies change over time, so does the need for different vitamins.
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Many elderly people are prescribed medications the majority of which can come with a whole host of detrimental and unpleasant side effects. So these have to be monitored.
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Caring for Your Elderly Loved One: Concern #5
Taking Care of You, The Carer!

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Now it’s time to think about you. And you do have to be a little bit selfish.
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How do you expect to look after someone when you can’t look after yourself? You want to be there for them and care for them as they cared for you.
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And it’s hard to see someone you love deteriorate from the strongest person you know to someone who can’t walk unassisted.
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And that is why you need to look after yourself too – your mental health is as important as theirs. When going through the harder parts of this transition, you might want to look into getting the help of a psychiatrist.
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Another great way for you to look after yourself is to take the same advice you’ll be offering to your loved one. Stay active, both mentally and physically. Eat properly and maintain a good social life.
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Above All…Treasure Moments Together Now

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The main thing you need to think about is spending time with them. Even if it’s just five minutes on your way to work, try and see them as much as you can. This time isn’t something you’ll ever get back, so don’t waste it.
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Spend time laughing and reminiscing, making new memories and simply enjoying life. The best thing for both of you is to enjoy precious moments together. This will help both of you mentally and emotionally.
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