Age brings changes to where our body is eventually falling apart and our minds lose the sharpness they once had. For some, this decline will happen much sooner or later, you can never really gauge when decline is going to happen. Different conditions like Parkinson’s and dementia can progress very quickly in not much time. Regardless of how people are doing now, you do have to be prepared for decline at any time. With how busy life can be, we know a lot of people need a hand in these times to maintain their own sanity.
When it comes to providing the best care to an elderly family member, education is critical well before you actually need it! The aging process may seem simple but it’s actually pretty complicated, a lot of different things can happen and when different medications and treatments get involved it can get overwhelming for even the most apt caregivers. Beyond just all the technical stuff with medication and all of that, it’s important to remember that no matter how old and lost someone may be, they are still a person and they deserve to be treated like one just as much as you do. Maintaining quality of life is so important, some diseases like dementia can lead to a lot of anger and frustration from not being able to remember, so it’s important to have someone there in those tough times to intervene when needed.
With elderly individuals, they may have multiple care providers which can lead to lines being crossed and confusion. It’s important to make sure that all of these different sides are communicating and sharing information. One lost piece of critical information could eventually be the difference between life and death.
You can’t just look at ailments in an elderly individual, you have to figure out how to treat the condition at the source to really stop it. Don’t just see them as an old person with dementia who needs medication daily to help them, think of them as a person struggling who you want to both try to heal and maintain their own dependence. While giving them as much independence as possible, you also need to keep track of issues with a clear mind.
We know how difficult these decisions can be for loved ones. Life gets busy, it’s hard to set aside enough time to provide the quality of care you may want to an elderly family member, sometimes you just need the help of a solid resource or even someone to come by and give you a hand when needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, what really matters is providing every elderly person with the quality care that they deserve You can do all this virtually and remote through Telemedicine San Francisco.