4 Habits of Successful Live-in Family Members Caring for a Loved One

Typically, many people want to create the best environment for their elderly family members, which requires dedication and sacrifice to ensure their loved ones are comfortable. However, giving care can be challenging, even for the most committed people. Anyone dispensing care to persons over 65 must develop certain habits to help make their tasks easier.

Here are four habits that any live-in family member should have while caring for a loved one.

Establish Routines

Being a full-time caregiver to persons over 65 requires an individual to be organized and prepared for all scenarios. Creating routines is important in achieving this as both the caregiver and the senior citizen will always know their roles. In addition, defined roles and routines make it easier for all parties to handle any challenges they might encounter in their experience.

In addition, being a caregiver to a live-in senior citizen means there must be a schedule for everything, including meal time, medication, physical activity, and even recreation. Therefore, routines remove the issue of unpreparedness which affects many caregivers. 

Communication Strategies

Caring for a senior citizen is a full-time job, and any individual taking up the task should prioritize working on their communication. 

The caregiver must have a clear communication method with their senior clients as it helps avoid any misunderstanding. Communication is a priority whenever two or more people are involved, especially if one is dependent on the other.

Persons over 65 might have difficulties communicating either through hearing loss or impaired memory. Knowing the challenges the elderly person has can help in finding the best means of communication. Therefore, a simple but effective communication strategy offers both parties clarity and peace of mind.

Self-Care Practices

Being a caregiver to a live-in family member can be a difficult and stressful commitment. Unfortunately, some people focus too much on their elderly loved ones and forget about their well-being. Anyone reluctant to take time for themselves will eventually burn out, resulting in negative outcomes for both parties.

Self-care can involve many things based on the interests and abilities of the caregiver. Notable self-care practices include:

1. Taking a personal day to decompress and recover from their responsibilities
2. Finding someone else to deputize for them at certain times during the day or week
3. Being mindful of their mental health and looking for help whenever they need it
4. Relinquishing the caregiving responsibilities when they become too much

Learning to Recognize Signs of Illness or Distress Early On

While administering care for a loved one, a family member must be capable of recognizing the signs of illness or distress as early as possible. Caring for elderly persons is challenging — a caregiver must be alert to deal with any issue that might arise. 

In addition, a person dependent on others for care is either physically or mentally incapable of doing so on their own. As a result, having a medical background can be an advantage in recognizing early symptoms of illnesses before they become worse. 

Family members can also take first aid classes, providing a basic understanding of what they must look out for and what to do in different situations. 

Learn How to Dispense Care with the Assistance of Senior Helpers

Senior Helpers provides live-in care in Dover, Rochester, Manchester, Hillsborough County, and Nashua. Contact us today and learn more about what we can do for your elderly loved ones.