Whether you're working in a residential facility or doing direct home care, the main goal is to ensure your client's quality of life is the best that it can be. Between the basic cleaning, showering, and task lists, it's really important not to get in too deep with any task-based habits and remember your responsibilities to your clients when it comes to delivering person centred care.
Here are 5 things that can help improve the basic quality of life for the elderly, so they can have more energy and verve in the later stages of their life.
Late-life depression can be a common occurrence among the elderly. Watch for things such as: thinking and memory problems, and higher-than-normal rates of fatigue and agitation.
It's vital to understand that these symptoms aren't a normal part of the ageing process, so ignoring them is not an option. Episodes of late-life depression occur frequently, so you might be able to notice the difference in mood of a particular client when compared with others.
Some of the causes of late-life depression can be due to physical illness or disability, as well as grief and social isolation. Stroke is another cause as well, as the aftermath can result in damage to specific areas of the brain.
Whether the symptoms of late-life depression are minor or major, it's still very important to identify them and treat them as soon as they appear.
This one is really simple to do, yet can help improve your client's sense of worth massively. When you're taking care of personal care tasks, such as showering, preparing food and housekeeping, ask the resident or client if they would like to help out. Doing this will make them feel more included, and give them the feeling that you can still use their help. In other words, making sure they don't think they are a burden upon you.
Giving them a little bit of independence will ensure that they are staying active and can even make them feel more at home (if they're in a nursing home), doing the things that they used to do themselves.
Physical activity is important for anyone, so make sure your client is getting regular exercise – even if it's something small.
Lack of exercise can lead to an unbalanced mind and body. By taking them for a short walk around the garden you can help relieve anxiety and depression. And, of course, exercise will make them feel better. It boosts the immune system, improves sleeping patterns and improves the health of the heart.
So whenever you can, make sure your client is getting exercise everyday!
Equally as important as exercising the body is exercising the mind! Try to engage your clients or residents with simple puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku, board games, drawing, writing and reading. These kinds of activities are vital for mental stimulation and can help their mind stay stronger for longer.
As the saying goes – use it or lose it! And this is especially relevant for the brain.
This is perhaps the most important point of the lot – making sure that your clients or residents are living a fulfilling social life!
Those who are isolated and lonely can be more susceptible to depression, dementia and may even live shorter lives. As a Professional Carer, you should aim to make sure that they are getting ample amounts of social interaction.
Organising outings or visits with their families is a good place to start – these are the people that care about them the most, and more often than not, the feeling is mutual! You can also encourage them to interact with other seniors, whether it be at the nursing home or at a seniors club. If, in the end, none of these things can be arranged, then take some time yourself to sit down and have a chat with them. They will get a lot out if it, knowing you've taken the time to have a nice talk – and some of the stories they can share with you will mean you'll get a lot out of it too!
So there it is – 5 ways to improve the quality of the life for the elderly. Try implementing a few of these things next time you're at work! And as always, share any suggestions of your own in the comments below.
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