Elder care

Being a caregiver requires planning and support

Home care can be the difference between a family member remaining at home or moving to a facility. Unless a family has the financial resources to pay for home care, the responsibility will most likely fall to them. At least one in five Americans provides unpaid care to family members in the home, according to a 2020 National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP report.

Depending on the individual’s physical, cognitive and medical needs, typical caregivers’ duties can entail:
● Coordinating or arranging home maintenance
● Providing companionship and comfort
● Personal care: bed positioning, transferring, hygiene, bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting
● Health care: managing medications, health needs (e.g., monitoring vitals, wound care, changing catheter bags), etc.
● Coordinating or arranging for supplemental/additional care
● Scheduling and escorting to appointments
● Shopping and running errands
● Housekeeping and pet care
● Planning and preparing meals
● Managing finances, paying bills

Home care can be the difference between a family member remaining at home or moving to a facility. Unless a family has the financial resources to pay for home care, the responsibility will most likely fall to them. At least one in five Americans provides unpaid care to family members in the home, according to a 2020 National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP report.

The good news

Fortunately, technology has expanded and increased care options.

Free apps (e.g., Medisafe, CareZone, MyMeds) reduce medication management safety issues by dispensing scheduled, individual medication doses and alerting the user and caregiver if one is missed.

Some services will mail prepackaged medication doses to the home. Locked electronic medication dispensers (e.g., MedMinder, MedReady, Reizen Vibrating Five Alarm Pill Box) restrict the user’s access beyond the individual dose for further protection.

Wearable tech like Apple and Android smartwatches lets users take calls and texts right from their wrist. They also have multiple options (some voice-activated): emergency communication, health tracking, alerts, fall detection and GPS tracking options (look for hard-to-remove, waterproof smartwatches that work outdoors).

Electronic pressure-sensitive mat alarms will alert caregivers when the user gets up from bed or chairs. Door and motion sensor units (such as SMPL Wander Alert) can pinpoint someone’s location. Surveillance cameras, baby monitors and smart-display devices with Wi-Fi allow remote check-ins.

You can preserve home safety and minimize accidents or injury by installing keyless deadlocks or lockboxes for emergency access to the home without a key. Consider automatic stove/oven shut-offs and anti-scald devices that limit water temperature. Put gates at stair openings, install motion detection lights and mount handrails throughout the house. Remove throw rugs. Slide a swim noodle, cut lengthwise, under a fitted bed sheet to deter rolling out of bed. Discourage wanderers with a stop sign on doors.

To save time, prepare, package and freeze individual, microwaveable meals that are easy to reheat. Order online groceries and have food delivered to your home. Ask others to bring diet-appropriate meals.

Take care of yourself too

Most people are not trained to be caregivers and some may have their own health problems or physical limitations.

Providing unpaid care can affect family members’ physical, emotional and financial health, says the American Medical Association. This can increase the risk of premature aging, sickness and death, depression, mood swings and resentment. Physical and/or emotional exhaustion can lead to burnout, increasing the risk for errors, medication mismanagement and unhealthy personal coping behaviors. Take steps to ensure your own mental and physical health (see “Get some relief”).

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