What Help Do Family Caregivers of Seniors Citizens Need??
Sep 15, 2016 by Comfort Keepers Myrtle Beach
The cycle of life progresses from infancy to youth; gracefully goes into adulthood and then begins a gradual decline into the last stage. This last stage, old age, is perhaps more similar to infancy. Life slows down, and memories become the precious threads which connect the stages to each other. Every nuclear family in the world consists of parents and their children. The parents take care of the children, and give them everything they have to make them successful, independent adults. As the children grow, so do the parents, and the tables are reversed. The care takers start to become dependent; and the children take over the care taking.
Senior citizens are elderly who are in the last years of their lives, and are often dependant on some form of help. When these elderly live with their real or adopted families, the family become the caregivers and cater to all needs and demands of the senior citizen in their care. By doing this, they may face numerous issues and need help. ??
- Physical Help:? While managing their own household and family needs, the care giving family already has their hands full with cleaning the house, laundry, cooking and the like. With additional responsibility of taking care of an elderly citizen who may not be able to cook or clean for themselves, the care giving family may need physical help in the form of a cleaning help or a cook. Senior citizens may require special diets at fixed times or need assistance to walk, eat and dress. As the family needs to fulfil their own needs such as school, college and work routines, a constant nurse may be required to attend to the senior citizen. This help will cost the family money, which may cause financial problems. ?
- Financial Help:? With taxes, inflation and the increasing wants and needs of today’s age, money is the most important resource a family needs. Money is spent on everything, but is hard to earn. To be able to pay utility bills, grocery bills, clothing and other expenses, at least two members of a family must work and earn money. Often, young adults also start part time jobs in order to help with the family finances. In such a tight budget, covering a senior citizens cost may put a financial burden on the caregiving family. To cover running costs such as medical bills, nursing, special dietary requirements and the like, the caregiving family may need financial help from relatives or government schemes. ?
- Emotional Help:? Senior citizens have lived their full lives and have many experiences to share. They also have many habits and traits that have become a part of their nature over the years, and may have very different opinions and views on the way things are done today. Some may suffer from memory loss, or conditions such as dementia in which they forget many things. Senior citizens may be unfairly harsh or critical of their caregivers, due to forgetfulness or perhaps their own frustrations due to being dependant on them. In such cases the care giving family may require emotional help and guidance from relatives, friends or psychological experts in order to correctly cope with such incidents and not let it affect the rest of the family.
