For some families, the idea of placing an elderly loved one into a nursing or assisted living facility is too much to bear. More families than ever before are taking their elderly loved ones home to care for them. If you have decided to care for an aging parent or other elderly person, you need to know about the kinds of medical supplies you will need to keep on hand for helping you provide the highest level of loving care.
Supplies Necessary for Attending to Basic Needs
No matter if your elderly patient is able to walk on their own or needs assistance to do so, bathing can be tricky and dangerous. If an older person falls while in the shower or while getting in and out of the tub, it can mean a broken hip and a lot of pain. For this reason, adding a shower seat to the bath or shower is a good idea for ensuring their safety. Shower seats also make it easier for you or your loved one to reach their lower extremities, especially if arthritis is an issue that causes bending to be painful. If you are in charge of helping your loved one bathe, remember to keep a small space heater in the bathroom. Keeping it warm, even during summer months, can mean a lot to someone elderly that feels cold a lot of time, especially when bathing. Other supplies you should have for attending to basic needs include:
When you have all the supplies you need for bathing and keeping your loved one's bed clean, you can add little items along the way that you find are helpful in your particular circumstance.
Making Medication Management Easier
Keeping up with the medications your elderly loved one is taking is vital to that person's well-being. However, if your elderly loved one takes more than one or two medications, you may find yourself forgetting a dose here or there. To avoid forgetting doses, writing out a schedule on a large print calendar is a good idea. Remember to add the times you need to call for refills as well. If you have a question arise about a certain medication, be sure to write it down so you will not forget to discuss it with home health nursing staff. Writing down your questions about medications can also be a good idea when you call your loved one's doctor. You might also add an app to your mobile device that will sound alerts for medication times.
Keeping Up With Special Medical Equipment
Making sure you have the proper medical equipment for your loved one is paramount. For example, if your loved one requires a hospital bed and oxygen, you will need to make sure the hospital bed and oxygen machine stay in good working condition. Whatever types of medical equipment your elderly patient uses in your home, contacting health care professionals about maintenance for them is an important aspect of the care you provide.
Making the best choices about the care you provide for an elderly sick person does not have to be stressful or frightening. Maintaining a schedule and lists for the medical supplies you need can help you a lot to provide the best care.
Share1 December 2015
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
