What are personal caregivers’ most important tasks for seniors?
Answers
Trying to stay clean and doing daily activities becomes very difficult as people get older. In 2016, up to 12 million older adults in America needed some help, and 6.3 million needed high help since they lacked two or three ADLs or (Activities of Daily Living) were suffering from severe memory loss. By 2050, it is estimated that 15 billion older adults will need high help.
Older adults need help in their routine tasks such as meals, bathing, laundry, and more. But at the same time, they need someone to spend time with support, and depending on their health, individual attention. Three essential needs that the older adults’ caregivers should remember are as follow:
1. Showering and cleaning.
2. Controlling Safety
“It is a great privilege taking care of the people who took care of us before.”- Tia Walker, The Inspired Caregiver, “Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love.”
3. Helping them to get on their feet
“Most of the time we undervalue the effect of a touch, a smile, a nice word, a good complement, or even a slight care for a person and how much these can change a person’s life.”-Leo Buscaglia
4. Light Housekeeping
“Giving help means being a friend, not a boss. It is not important whether the person needing help has cancer, the flu, memory loss, or depression.” Jody Carnish, the Dementia Handbook: How to Provide Dementia Care at Home.
5. Preparing food
“It is not important what you do. The importance is the love you put in doing it.”- Mother Teresa. Many older adults, because of physical disabilities, should be assisted in preparing nutritious food. Since taste and smell decrease and they cannot chew well; so, the desire to eat drops. So, preparing a healthy and delicious meal for them becomes problematic.
