Nurturing Wellness: Caring for Seniors and Caregivers

Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiving, elderly care, Senior Care | 0 comments

When you are young, your parents and grandparents took care of you. It was a labor of love, completed with compassion every day. Now that you are grown, taking care of the elders in your family is also a labor of love. Just as your family elders make sure you were healthy and strong as a child, it’s important to look after the family’s wellness now that you are in the driver’s seat.

How can you best maintain wellness for both the seniors and caregivers in your family? There are several important methods that you can use to look out for everyone’s health and wellbeing.

Stay Hydrated Together

Getting enough water is so important. The human body is up to 75% water. Water keeps skin, hair, eyes, and sinuss healthy. Water helps us digest efficiently. Water helps our blood and lymph system carry important nutrients to our tissue cells and carry unwanted molecules out of the body. If there is one thing you can do to boost everyone’s health, it’s to drink enough water. Encouraging each other to drink water is often the best way to finally get enough, which is around eight 8oz glasses a day.

Engage in Daily Exercise and Activity

Seniors and caregivers alike can also benefit from daily activity. Activity gets the blood pumping, improving cardiac health, strenthening muscles, and improving personal stamina. Daily activity can extend the independent years of the seniors in your life and will help caregivers in the family build a foundation of good health that will last into their own old age.

Share the Burden: Take Turns and Hire an In-Home Caregiver

Don’t let the burden of caregiving fall on just one person. This is unfair to everyone, including the senior and their caregiver. Instead, share the task. Have caring family members take turns sitting with their elderly parent or grandparent. If you don’t have enough people for a roster, hire an in-home caregiver to pick up some or most of the time and tasks that your senior relative needs for daily wellness.

Plan Regular Visits Just to Spend Time Together

Once you have shared the tasks of care, it becomes easier to visit just to share good news and warm company. Seniors who remain connected with their families have been found to live longer and stay more engaged in life. You can also learn many interesting stories and family facts from the elders in your family when you visit just to spend time together.

Make Sure the Temperature and Humidity are Just Right

Seniors are particularly sensitive to temperature and humidity because aged cells do not regulate these things very well. To ensure your seniors remains healthy, be sure that temperature is too hot or too cold, too dry or too moist. Use a combination of central air and humidifiers/dehumidifiers to make the ideal conditions for your family elders. These conditions will also be comfortable and relaxing for caregivers who gain a secondary benefit.

Keep the Environment Clear and Organized

Everyone benefits from living in a neat and tidy environment. By keeping a home well-organized and free of clutter, you can ensure that your senior is not at risk of tripping or being unable to reach things they need. Clean surfaces and organized spaces are also good for the mind, for both seniors and caregivers.

Share Joyful Moments

Lastly, remember to celebrate together. Make sure seniors are part of family gatherings or can attend your children’s performances. Bring children and less involved family members to visit your family elder and share happy moments. From a good report card to an engagement announcement, seniors will delight in seeing their family happy and successful.

Maintain Senior and Caregiver Wellness with Advancare

At Advancare, we know that senior care is a team effort. Families want to remain involved, but don’t need to take on the full responsibility of caring for elderly relatives. Our in-home caregivers can lighten the load by caring for seniors and making it easier to simply enjoy warm family gatherings together. Contact us to consult on home care or to learn more.