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How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Avoid Home Care Stress

May 2, 2016
constant-63613_640Making the transition from child to caregiver is stressful for you and for your aging parent or loved one. In their role as elder of the family, they have always been in charge, and it takes a tremendous amount of adjustment to accept they are no longer able to run the show. To help keep things smooth during the transition and into the future, many aspects of their life need to be organized and made easily accessible for you in your new role as caregiver. Home health Orlando is a great resource for getting things in order to help avoid stress for you and your aging loved one. It is important to start documenting information relevant to the care of your elderly loved one. Take notes about things, such as daily routine, medical/dental appointments, and home/vehicle maintenance schedules. You might think you will remember everything, but in the event of an emergency, you probably won’t and your loved one will certainly not. Develop a “go-list”. This would be something that you can grab quickly, or have with you to bring to a doctor’s appointment or the hospital. Sit down with your elderly loved one and document all medications and dosages. In the event of an urgent rush to the emergency room, this information can be critical to life-saving treatments at the hospital. Your list should also include all doctors, including specialists (and their specialties) with their phone numbers and addresses. Recent test dates and results, in addition to all other diagnoses, should be on this list. At the very least, you should review and revise this list monthly to ensure you have the most updated information. When assuming the role of caregiver providing home health in Orlando and juggling your busy life, it’s essential to create a schedule that includes doctor appointments, prescription refills, lawn care, due dates for bills, and any other information you think necessary. This will help reassure your elderly loved one that things are running smoothly for them. As a caregiver, you will no doubt be making phone calls and dealing with Medicare, health insurance, Social Security, and a host of other organizations. Document your contacts including, date, time, and name of the person you spoke with. Include a brief synopsis of what was discussed; you will be amazed at how important this information will be in the future and the peace of mind it will give to your elderly loved one. Up until now, you may not have had a reason to keep copies of medical bills, prescriptions, insurance claims, wills, advance directives, or other legal documents. Purchase an inexpensive expanding file pouch with inside dividers to organize receipts and important document so that you can keep things organized and in one designated space. Staying organized, decreases the stress levels for those who might be struggling with the beginnings of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other declining health issues. You can help reduce eldercare stress by following the simple suggestions listed above.  Caring for an elderly loved one at home requires you be at the top of your game. Possessing organizational and planning skills are the key to being successful. It’s just as important to remember that professional help is available, and you don’t have to do it all alone. The home care Orlando experts at BrightStar care are here to help. Call us now to learn more about available resources at 407-877-0720.