When Should You Consider Elderly Caregiver Services?

Licensed Practical Nurse

An elderly caregiver, also known as a licensed practical nurse or RCN, is someone who provides care for another person suffering from a condition that could result in injury or ailment. Elderly caregivers can be family members, friends and other relatives of an elderly individual. In addition, an elderly care professional is also paid to give care to a disabled or elderly person, usually receives specialized training and is paid on-the-job. In many cases, the term "elderly caregiver" refers to an individual who works in this capacity. The job description of a typical aged care professional includes helping with day to day activities, such as bathing, dressing, feeding, transferring and toileting.

Good Opportunity to Help out

If you are looking for a good opportunity to help out, consider becoming an informal caregiver for seniors in your area. Many times, elderly people are not eager to admit that they need assistance. However, once you have opened your mouth, chances are that your ideas will be taken more seriously. Often, these individuals are looking for someone to help them with daily chores around the house such as grocery shopping, running errands and yard work. If you want to become an informal caregiver, here are some tips to get you started:

An elderly caregiver has many duties to perform. Some of these duties include personal care, companionship, transportation, bathing, dressing, grooming and helping with day-to-day activities. You will also have to prepare meals, manage medications, take prescribed medications, monitor a patient's vital signs and monitor their medical condition. As part of your responsibilities, you will also need to arrange home health care services for your patients. This type of service may include companionship, transportation or housekeeping services.

Informal Caregiver

One of your responsibilities as an informal caregiver could be to assist your elderly family member or friend with grocery shopping. Perhaps your loved one needs help with grocery shopping because they have difficulty walking or are not able to move as quickly as they once could. If this is the case, your job is to help them shop at their own pace. Encourage your loved one to take the time to learn how shopping is done and then to practice at home. You can even give them a shopping guide to help them get through the shopping experience easier.

Elderly caregiver's duties

Your elderly caregiver's duties also include companionship. This means that you are responsible for making sure that your loved one eats and is drinking adequate fluids throughout the day. You may also take them to medical appointments. For example, if your loved one is in need of medication for an illness or injury, you may need to bring them to the doctor or seek medical appointments on their own.

Many times, elderly caregivers find themselves spending a lot of time in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. If you do not live in such a facility, you may end up working long, stressful hours with little or any work outside of your regular daytime job. This can be both emotionally and physically draining. Instead of putting your entire body through the motions on a daily basis, you can simply arrange for help when needed.

In some cases, an elderly caregiver will serve as a nanny for the senior parents. In this case, the caregiver will typically only have evening hours during which they are paid. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, you may want to discuss it with your loved one's doctor. It is important to make sure that you find a person who the senior parent's trust. This will make the situation much easier for everyone. On the other hand, you may want to consider providing assistance for other activities, such as housekeeping, errands, shopping or other daily tasks.

Some seniors may need help getting in and out of bed, while others may need assistance getting to and from bathroom facilities. If the senior cannot take care of themselves on their own, an elderly caregiver may be a good option. However, you want to make sure you do your research before hiring someone. Remember, you will not only be responsible for the actions of this person, but you will be sharing a room with this person as well.