Prepare Your Health: Carers’ Advice
Millions of people’s quality of life is impacted by the major public health issue of caregiving. The core of long-term care offered in people’s homes is given by informal or unpaid caregivers (family members or friends). While providing care can be enjoyable in some ways, it can also put carers at higher risk for adverse health effects. They include the inability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stress, despair, and keeping up with their own medical appointments.
Unexpected emergencies can occur and increase caregiver stress. Caregiver stress can be reduced by having preparedness measures in place and supplies on hand, allowing them to concentrate more on the wellbeing and security of the person they are caring for.
Preparation and readiness for caregivers
Before an emergency occurs, carers can get ready in a variety of ways for both themselves and the person they are caring for. Among these are gathering emergency supplies, picking up useful caring skills, making a plan, and keeping up with current events.
Boxes of comfort
In order to determine the critical goods that are crucial to stock up on before an emergency, family caregivers should speak with the healthcare practitioner of the person they are caring for. A cooler or insulated bag to keep medications cold is another personal necessity that may be required in addition to food, water, and prescription medications. Incontinence underwear, wipes, and lotions may also be required.
A current list of prescription drugs and dosage information, copy of significant documents, current pictures of the subject, warm clothing and sturdy shoes. Medical equipment and devices, including eyeglasses, hearing aids, and hearing aid batteries.
Carers’ Advice: Learn Practical Caregiving Skills
Caregivers provide care to people who need some degree of ongoing assistance with everyday tasks on a regular or daily basis. For some caregivers that may include helping with bathing and dressing, paying bills, shopping, and providing transportation. It can also involve emotional support and help with managing a chronic disease or disability.
According to a report from the Home Alone Alliance, many caregivers also manage medications, help with mobility devices, prepare special diets, dress wounds, and perform other tasks typically done by healthcare professionals. The majority of caretakers don’t actually know how to accomplish most of these things, despite what most people assume. At release, caregivers might receive some training, but most felt they needed more. When medical services are not available due to an emergency, it is crucial that caregivers engage with doctors to learn how to properly complete chores that may need to be done at home.
Create a Care Plan
A care plan is a document that lists a person’s medical issues and the current therapies being used to treat them. A plan should outline the person’s medical history, current medications, healthcare providers, emergency contacts, and a resource list for caregivers. In discussing advanced care plan choices and tools that are available to assist make things easier for you as a carer, caregivers should ask the healthcare practitioner of the person they are caring for to help complete the care plan.
