Caregivers in LaVista NE
As a family caregiver you face challenges on a daily basis. You want to make sure that you are giving your aging loved one everything that they need in order to keep them healthy, safe, and comfortable throughout their aging years, but you also have your limitations. Especially if you are in the sandwich generation caring for your children as well as your aging parent, you might feel like there are just too many things on your to-do list from day to day for you to be able to fulfill them effectively. Fortunately there are some simple tips and tricks that can help you handle your caregiver tasks more easily without sacrificing the quality of your care or the closeness of your relationship with your elderly loved one.
Try some of these caregiver hacks to simplify your care efforts and improve your elderly loved one’s quality of life as they age in place:
• Make gripping a glass easier. Many elderly adults struggle with holding a glass. Pain, stiffness, and even issues such as tremors can make this grip difficult, reducing independence and possibly leading to injuries if a glass is dropped. Make this grip easier without purchasing any special devices simply by adding several rubber bands around the glass at equal intervals along its length.
• Make holding utensils easier. Difficulty with grips can also make holding utensils such as forks, spoons, and even combs and toothbrushes challenging. Make tasks such as eating and grooming easier by slipping foam hair rollers over the handles of these utensils to provide additional bulk and a firmer grip.
• Restore some independence with hooks. If your loved one is dealing with arthritis or other causes of compromised mobility and grip in their hand, they might struggle to open cabinets or drawers that have small knobs. Ease frustration and allow your aging parent to handle more of their own tasks using adhesive hooks. Choose large plastic hooks with adhesive backs and position horizontally on the drawer or cabinet door. This allows your parent to place their hand under the edge of the hook and use their palm or the back of their hand to open the door or drawer without the need for a tight grip.
• Make water more accessible. It can be extremely difficult for some elderly adults to reach far enough over a sink to effectively wash their hands, fill their hands with water to wash their face, or wash dishes. Make this simpler by cutting a hole around the top of a clean soap bottle, removing the bottom, and cutting a large “U” shape out of the front. Fit this bottle over the faucet with the opening facing up and secure in place with a rubber band or clip if necessary. When your parent needs to use the water, they can simply turn the handles and allow the water to run down the bottle for easier access even if your parent is sitting or cannot reach.
Source
https://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-2016/caregivng-tips-hacks-tricks-video.html?intcmp=AE-HF-MAIN-FLXSLD3-CAREGIVING-CAREGIVING-TM1116
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in LaVista, NE, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors® Greater Omaha at (402) 215-0308 today.