Being a caregiver.......A backroom job to put forth the patients happy life....
A caregiver is is an unpaid or paid relative or friend of a disabled individual who helps that individual with his or her activities of daily living. This may sound easy and sedatory job; but it takes real guts and a true devotion to do it..
A caregiver is a personal assistant who looks after a patient not as a job...but as a noble service.. In India the caregivers are generally the family members of the patient or his/her relatives, and often there efforts are not measured in terms of any external rewards. They just do it....for the love and care they actually hold within......
In healthcare nutrition center we organize campaigns and training sessions for the caregivers. When we hear there real time experiences of looking after the patients we are both, touched and inspired to work for the homely angels-the caregivers...!!
Through this blog article I would like to focus on some of the factors we work on...
a suggestion for the caregivers.
1. first of all each day congratulate yourself for best of the service you are delivering to patient!!
2. the usual duties of a caregiver are--
--Take care of someone who has a chronic illness or disease.
-- Manage medications or talk to doctors and nurses on someone’s behalf.
--Help bathe or dress someone who is frail or disabled.
--Take care of household chores, meals, or bills for someone who cannot do these things alone.
Always make sure you have a time table for these duties as being organized would help you all the way. Also organize your personal schedule accordingly.
3. As we all no, the different patients have different problems and may need help in different aspects.
We are trying to cover some of the illnesses or the disabilities. the first to deal with is dementia.
1. Dementia:
Set a positive mood for interaction.
Your attitude and body language communicate your feelings and thoughts
stronger than your words. Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved
one in a pleasant and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, tone of
voice and physical touch to help convey your message and show your
feelings of affection.
2. Get the person’s attention.
Limit distractions and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close the
curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter sur-roundings. Before
speaking, make sure you have her attention; address her by name,
identify yourself by name and relation, and use nonver-bal cues and
touch to help keep her focused. If she is seated, get down to her level
and maintain eye contact.
3. State your message clearly.
Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly and in a
reassuring tone. Refrain from raising your voice higher or louder;
instead, pitch your voice lower. If she doesn’t understand the first
time, use the same wording to repeat your message or ques-tion. If she
still doesn’t understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase the question.
Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns or abbreviations.
4. Ask simple, answerable questions.
Ask one question at a time; those with yes or no answers work best.
Refrain from asking open-ended ques-tions or giving too many choices.
For example, ask, “Would you like to wear your white shirt or your blue shirt?” Better still, show her the choices—visual prompts and cues also help clar-ify your question and can guide her response.
5. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart.
Be patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply. If she is struggling
for an answer, it’s okay to suggest words. Watch for nonverbal cues and
body language, and respond appropriately. Always strive to listen for the meaning and feelings that underlie the words.
6. Break down activities into a series of steps.
This makes many tasks much more manageable. You can encourage your
loved one to do what he can, gently remind him of steps he tends to
forget, and assist with steps he’s no longer able to accomplish on his
own. Using visual cues, such as showing him with your hand where to
place the dinner plate, can be very helpful.
7. When the going gets tough, distract and redirect.
When your loved one becomes upset, try changing the subject or the
environment. For example, ask him for help or suggest going for a walk. It is important to connect with the person on a feeling level, before you redirect. You might say, “I see you’re feeling sad—I’m sorry you’re upset. Let’s go get something to eat.”
8. Respond with affection and reassurance.
People with dementia often feel confused, anxious and unsure of
themselves. Further, they often get reality confused and may recall
things that never really occurred. Avoid trying to convince them they are wrong.
Stay focused on the feelings they are demonstrating (which are real)
and respond with verbal and physical expressions of comfort, support and
reassurance. Sometimes holding hands, touching, hugging and praise will
get the person to respond when all else fails.
9. Remember the good old days.
Remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity. Many
people with dementia may not remember what happened 45 minutes ago, but
they can clearly recall their lives 45 years earlier. Therefore, avoid asking questions that rely on short-term memory,
such as asking the person what they had for lunch. Instead, try asking
general questions about the person’s distant past—this information is
more likely to be retained.
10. Maintain your sense of humor. Use humor whenever possible, though not at the person's expense. People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.
11. Handling the behavioural whims. First of all, keep in your mind that through every action they want to express something. Everything your loved one does is triggered by something that you have to find out. You may consult the doctor each time you notice a behavioural change and try to cope up with the patient as much as you can, as we can never change a person.
12. You are not alone. We request you all to please realize that you are not alone over there. there are social communities and volunteers. for an immediate help, call your neighbours friends or even collegues.. help comes in any face.
please express your thoughts and opinions about the artcle.. ***coming soon--suggestions for the caregivers of heart patients, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, AIDS.
