The Biggest Challenges You'll Face When Caring For The Elderly

As we age, the body slowly weakens. Over time, the elderly will need assistance to help them with activities of daily living. Luckily, Lake County senior living is ready to take on the responsibility of caring for the aging population.

A senior living community is an ideal place for the elderly. It’s a low-stress community that allows seniors to thrive, allowing them to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle. But unfortunately, not a lot of people know about senior living. Instead of asking for help from a community that’s designed for the elderly, family members are taking matters into their own hands. They don’t know that caring for the elderly is not an easy job. In fact, it can be a complex and extremely challenging undertaking.

The Common Challenges of Caring for Senior Parents

Managing Activities of Daily Living

As your parents get older, their needs become more and more difficult. Sooner or later, their age will make it hard for them to do their usual activities such as going to the doctor, shopping, managing finances, preparing meals, and many more.

The children will shoulder this responsibility, which means you’ll have to cancel some of your essential plans to take your parents to the doctor or give up a big meeting with your boss to ensure your parents are well fed.

Caring for the elderly is often a full-time 24/7 job where you may have to make huge sacrifices to keep them safe and healthy, even if it’s inconvenient for you. Being a caregiver is a tough job. It will even get more challenging if your parent has dementia.

Health and Medical Problems

If caring for a healthy aging adult is challenging all the more if your parents suffer from medical issues. We’ve come to accept the fact that older people are prone to getting sick as their health deteriorates. Seniors diagnosed with chronic medical conditions will require constant attention and support from caregivers.

Family members may survive this challenging task for several months, but if it becomes an everyday thing for the rest of your parents’ lives, would you be able to do it? Are you willing to sacrifice your personal goals to become a caregiver?

Safety Concerns

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 36 million falls are reported each year among the elderly leading to 32,000 deaths. In addition, statistics show that around 3 million elderly are rushed into the emergency room because of a fall injury. Given these statistics, you can’t help but feel paranoid whenever your parents walk around the house.

You have to keep an eye on them 24/7 to ensure they are safe. Does your home have safety features to help minimize the risk of injuries? If not, you’ll need to invest in accessories to ensure your loved ones’ safety. In addition, constantly worrying about your parents’ safety can be emotionally draining.

Dealing with Other Family Members

Caring for your parents is a heavy workload, but in addition to that, you’ll also have to deal with other family members who have different opinions on how you should handle the elderly. They will criticize your service or make unrealistic suggestions. This can lead to emotional exhaustion.

How Do You Overcome These Challenges?

Be More Understanding

The elderly will have a hard time accepting that they are slowly losing their independence, leading to changes in their behavior. Don’t take their behavior personally. This isn’t about you; it’s about them and their new struggles that will take time to get used to.

To help you overcome this emotional turmoil, try to be more understanding of the situation. Put yourself in their shoes so you can be more sympathetic. You may have already anticipated this reaction, but you can never prepare your emotions for it. So, it’s best to be more understanding and sensitive to your parents.

Open Communication

The abrupt change in their lifestyle can be painful to accept. To help them cope, be there for them. You can ask them how they are doing, how they feel about the change, and what they can do to make themselves feel better. The more they can express themselves, the more they’ll feel lighter. Also, let them know that if they need anything, you’ll be there for them.

Assist Them During the Adjustment Phase

Transitions are part of aging. Their health, strength, motion, cognition – so many things can change, whether abruptly or gradually. Regardless, be ready to assist them in this adjustment phase. Letting them know that you’ll be there every step of the way is one way of assuring them that things will be okay.

If your parents have to change living conditions because of their health, make sure to bring possessions with sentimental value to make them feel at home. Your job as a caregiver is to make their transition as smooth and hassle-free as possible.

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Preserve Their Dignity

One of the most challenging tasks caregivers face is maintaining the elderly’s dignity. The secret is to involve them in everything, even the most trivial things. Ask for their opinion so they can feel that they’re still in control. Involve them in activities. Doing so will give them a sense of purpose.

What If You Can’t Do It?

Believe it or not, many family members cannot endure the life of full-time caregivers. They may get off on the right foot, but as they face unending challenges, they eventually succumb to caregiver burnout. We can’t stress this enough. Caring for the elderly is a tough job.

If you can’t give your 100% commitment, we suggest giving senior living a try. Senior living communities have improved the lives of thousands of aging Americans with their quality services that aim to preserve the integrity and independence of their residents. In addition, the community offers fun and safe programs to help the elderly thrive.

Do You Have More Questions About Lake County Senior Living?

At Senior Living Experts, we help you find the best assisted living and memory care communities for your loved ones. Our years of experience in the industry working with various clients have helped improve our service over the years. We offer our resources, knowledge, and technology to give you the best living options. Call us today for a free consultation.