There are numerous techniques and tips that can help with family caregiving for an elderly loved one. If you are a family caregiver, you and home care providers can work together to ensure your loved one is well taken care of. One of the options is called the C.A.R.E. method. Keep reading here to find out what this method of caregiving consists of.
Creating a Conversation
Before you can just dive into taking care of your elderly loved one, it is a good idea to have a conversation with them. You should talk to your elderly loved one about the type of care they want. For example, do they prefer to have home care providers around every day instead of family members? They may prefer their family members focus on socializing with them instead of caring for them. Having a care conversation or multiple conversations with your elderly loved one is a great way to ensure they get the care they want, need, and deserve.
Asking Questions and Acknowledging Their Wishes
Two other things that you should do when caring for your elderly loved one is asking them questions and acknowledging the wishes they have.
In regard to the questions, you will have many conversations with your elderly loved one. They are likely going to have questions about their care, health, and many other things, as well. It is important that you know or find the answers to their questions. In addition, it is highly recommended that you ask your elderly loved one questions that don’t involve a yes or no answer. You want to get them talking. This will help you to find out more about your elderly loved one, so you and the home care providers can offer better care.
In these conversations, you will talk about your elderly loved one’s wishes, too. For example, your elderly loved one may want to talk about plans for their funeral and memorial service. You should let them discuss their wishes with you, so you can help to ensure their wishes are met.
Reviewing Their Plans
With all the conversations you will have with your elderly loved one, it is likely you will know a good deal about their wants and needs. However, sometimes, elderly people change their minds about what their wishes and desires are. This is one of the reasons why it is very important for you to review your elderly loved one’s plans with them. This should be done every 6 months or so. Depending on your elderly loved one’s current state of health, it may need to be done more often or less often than this.
Engaging Everyone
The final part of the C.A.R.E. method is to make sure that everyone is engaged. This will include family members and friends of your elderly loved one. It will also include you and home care providers. Everyone who may play a part in their care should be engaged in conversations. This will help to ensure everyone knows what is going on.
Conclusion
This is the C.A.R.E. method of caregiving. Now that you know about this method, you can decide if it will help you to provide better care for your elderly loved one.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place-growing-older-home