If your elderly loved one is sick, it is important to know how to handle the situation. It is actually better to know what to do before your elderly loved one even gets sick. With this being said, it is also important to know what not to do in these situations. There are some mistakes that are often made when elderly loved ones are sick. Keep reading here to find out more about these mistakes.
Not Planning Ahead
If you are caring for an elderly loved one, you should plan ahead for if they get sick. For instance, if your elderly loved one gets pneumonia, who is going to take care of them when they get home. They might need someone to help with their O2 tank, breathing techniques, and other treatments. If you know that you won’t be there to do these things, you should have a plan to hire senior care providers. If you plan ahead for these situations, you can prevent any additional issues from happening when your elderly loved one gets sick.
Being Unprepared Emotionally
While there is no sure way to prepare yourself emotionally for when an elderly loved one gets sick, you can try. For instance, if your elderly loved one is diagnosed with cancer, you can start going to support groups. These support groups give you the opportunity to connect with other people who have loved ones with cancer. They understand what you are going dealing with and going through. Their support can help you to prepare a bit emotionally for what is happening or what will happen.
Let Them Do Things On Their Own
If your elderly loved one is starting to get a bit weak, you may want to instantly take over everything. You may start cleaning their house, taking care of their laundry, going shopping for them, and doing everything else, as well. This is a mistake. Elderly people need consistency in their life. They also need to stay independent for as long as they can. If you start doing everything for them, this can cause them to become weaker even faster.
Not Taking Care of Yourself
If you have an elderly loved one that is sick, you must take care of yourself. You can’t put all of your energy and time into caring for them. This will cause you to neglect your own self-care. If you find that you tend to do this when they get sick, it might be a good idea to hire senior care providers to care for them during these times.
These are some of the mistakes that are often made when elderly loved ones get sick. If your elderly loved one gets sick, be sure you have a plan in place ahead of time. If you do this and follow the other tips mentioned above, you can make things better for your elderly loved one and for yourself.
Sources: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/healthy-aging-in-action-final.pdf
