Solutions to Help Be a Better Senior Advocate For a Loved One
Advocating for a senior loved one is easier with home care help.
Trusting someone you love to the care of someone else is not easy, particularly for an older member of the family. Whether at home or in a facility, you’ll have questions you need answered. You will also want to be an excellent senior advocate to proactively address any potential problems and also to immediately resolve problems that do develop.
For example, review the following common situations and how to be a better senior advocate should they occur with an older adult you love:
- You’re concerned about challenging behaviors. In the event the older adult is prone to wandering, aggression, angry outbursts, hoarding, or any one of an array of other difficult behaviors, you might feel embarrassed or ashamed. Though you may prefer not to talk about the issue, it is a good idea to share this openly with the care provider. More likely than not, they have experience with successfully working with an array of personalities and personal nuances, and will be able to incorporate strategies which will work best together with your family member.
- You live far away. Thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to remain close to a long-distance relative and to keep a finger on the pulse of how things are going. FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype with the older adult regularly to check in. If a family portal is available for the home care provider and family members to share comments and notes, make full use of this communication tool. And if you’re not able to visit in person, ask a friend or other member of the family who lives nearby to drop in routinely.
- Your loved one has dementia. A senior with dementia may not be able to effectively communicate their wishes and needs. For example, a new caregiver might not know that Dad wears inserts in his shoes and she may put his shoes on each morning without them. Dad might not know how to communicate this need or could have forgotten about this need and start to become uncomfortable that day. Or he may act out because he is experiencing discomfort, which might lead to other issues. As the older adult’s voice, be sure to share even the smallest details about the person’s preferences with the care provider.
Responsive Home Care partners with families, working together to ensure the best quality of care and senior advocacy, through personalized services such as:
- Meal planning and preparation
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Personal care for safe baths/showers, getting dressed, etc.
- Running errands
- Companionship for fun activities and conversations
- And more
Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for a free in-home consultation to allow us to develop a care plan for your family or to learn more about our in-home respite care in Weston, FL and the surrounding area.
