Tips for Elderly Care

• COMPANIONSHIP

Depression is also a common problem for elderly. They don't often have many family members at home to talk to and understand them. Employing a caregiver at home is like bringing home a new friend. A friend who has better understanding of aging and will accompany them wherever they go.

Here's things to remember:

1. Fight against depression : Elderly should try being social as much as possible and make the most of their remaining years. With the helper, she can accompany the elderly when he or she needs to go out.

• NURSING CARE

We need to have someone to take care of our elderly with continuous assistance. Our loved ones have difficulties in doing daily activities and a caregiver can assist them throughout the day. Our elderly may also have difficulties in maintaining their proper hygiene. Medicine feeding, showering, bed bath, physical maintenance exercises can be assisted by our caregivers.

Here's things to remember:

1. Falls are major cause of injury for elderly in Singapore : It is important to make some changes in the elderly's environment to avoid further falls or accidents. Some of the ways to modify the elderly's flat is to ensure good lighting, remove clutter, repair furniture, install grab rails in the bathroom and beside bed, or wipe up spills immediately.

Send Helper for Elderly care course - Here's a link for your reference. https://www.aic.sg/caregiving/eldercarer-foreign-domestic-worker-scheme

• DEMENTIA CARE

1. Conversation Topics - Ask the elderly about his life and past experiences. Caregiver can choose positive topics like his first car, wedding day, first job, and favourite past time.

2. Take advantage of positive responses - When the elderly is able to recall, laugh, and talk, it's time to take advantage of the happy hormones. Try to persuade to do tasks he or she normally refuse like bathing, toileting, or going out.

3. Emotional triggers - They may become angry from boredom or over-simulation. As caregiver, try to entertain them, talk to them and do some simple activities together. Being overwhelmed lonely, or bored can also trigger anger or aggression. One of the leading cause of anger in Dementia and Alzheimer's patients is being confused. It can be triggered by losing trains of thought, a sudden change of environment, such as change of one caregiver to another, and having mixed up memories.

4. Send Helper for Dementia Care Course - Do you know that Singapore have Dementia course for your helper and it's subsidies by Government. You only need to co pay S$10. Yes, here's a link to the course if you are interested. https://alz.org.sg/artc/fdw/

Having someone to run with, stretch with, entertain with is more enjoyable than doing things alone. Support is a crucial part of encouraging the elderly to be active and happy. Hope the above is useful tips for you.

Always there for you, GEM.