Tips for Caring for Seniors

After a lifetime of caring for us, sometimes our parents need us to take care of them. Dr. Mom is a physician, and she's also had to care for an elderly parent. Here are three tips for caring for an aging parent or loved one. The first thing you need to consider with an aging parent is that the parent has all of his or her finances in order, that the living will is written, and that you know exactly what your father or mother once done in case of emergencies. A living will, an advance directive, a medical power of attorney are all valuable devices. Once that hurdle is jumped, you can then get on to the very important piece of making sure that your parent is in a familiar social environment and a place where their dignity and independence will be respected for as long as possible. One of the most important things to remember is that your parent is still a social being and still has feelings. Even when they can't express exactly how they're feeling, it's important to be sure that they're in a place where they get respect and dignity, where people talk to them, where people interact with them, where they actually have people who touch them and hold them and take them to other rooms and to social areas so that they can see other people and be part of an all-encompassing environment. As a caregiver, you can get really, really tired. It's very important that you take care of yourself. That means, perhaps, getting someone in to help you. It also might mean that sometimes some of the more intimate chores you want to hire somebody for because that preserves your relationship with the mother or father you remember before the illness struck. Want to learn more? Check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.