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Aged Care Tips

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Taking care of an aged person can be a nerve-wracking experience. It is especially so if the person suffers from an illness such as dementia, diabetes or Parkinson's disease. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to take care of the elderly. 

Create A Friendly Home

Most seniors will experience mobility issues as they age. As such, you should renovate the property to ease mobility. For instance, you could install low-lying shelves and rails and replace the stairs with ramps. Besides, you should declutter the house to ensure the person has an easy time moving inside the house. If the person has dementia, the property should have safety devices such as smoke detectors, safety alarms and fire extinguishers.

Understand The Medical Needs Of The Patient

Consult with a medical doctor to understand the health needs of the senior adult. These are some of the questions you should ask:

  • What medication does the person take?
  • Does the person require a special diet? 
  • Does the patient need regular exercise and physiotherapy?
  • What activities should the patient avoid? 
  • What complications can the patient develop? 

Ask For Help

Aged care should be a collaborative process. As such, you should ask close friends and family members to help you take care of your loved one. If this is not possible, you could take the person to a respite care facility. These are facilities that provide short-term care to senior adults. Some facilities can also send a nurse to your home. 

Encourage Independence

Unknown to some caregivers, senior adults in their care crave some independence. Therefore, you should encourage the person to assist in household activities such as preparing meals or cleaning laundry. Besides, you could also ask him or her to join social and recreational clubs such as book and charity clubs. 

Budgeting

Most insurance covers will pay for the person's medical bills. However, he or she could have special needs that are not covered by the insurance policy. For example, take a case where he or she needs a special diet or mobility scooter. Create a budget and decide how you will secure finances to cater to the needs of your loved one. For instance, you could use his or her superannuation fund. Alternatively, family members could make monthly contributions.  

When providing aged care, create a comfortable environment at home, understand the medical needs of the patient, ask for help, encourage independence and create a budget. 


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