Caring for Your Loved One at Home

Caring for parents as they age is never easy. As we get older, living independently in our own home can become more difficult. If we’re finding it harder to do the things we used to, we can ask for help at home.

Every senior citizen in every community is human. That is exactly how they should be treated. They have the same rights as every one of us. As well as good health care, they are entitled to the same freedom endowed on our millennials. That is the perspective we want to take when giving care to our elders.

When it comes to enjoying our independence for as long as possible, most people would agree that living independently at home is better for our wellbeing, for our families and for our community. Asking for help doesn’t mean losing independence; it’s quite the opposite. Getting a little help with daily activities means we can stay independent in our own home for longer. In fact, a little support can lead to a much better life.

Help at home looks different for different people. It may mean getting help with shopping and food preparation. Or it could be receiving personal care to bath, dress, and get in and out of bed. It may even mean getting modifications to improve your safety and movement around the house.

Getting some help at home can enable our elders to continue to live independently in their own home for as long as possible. However, this often places considerable strain on family members. As a family member and carer, catering to the unique needs of older people can be a difficult task especially as you have many other things to do. You have kids to take care of. You have your own house to keep in order, work commitments and so on. You shouldn’t let your huge to-do list push you to the wall of not looking after your own needs or giving the care you want to your loved one.

For many of our elders, regaining independence means being able to free their family to be daughters, sons and grandchildren again, because there’s help with all the other things that need to be done. Whatever independence means to you, home care can be pivotal in achieving what you want personally.

Many of our elders have specific health needs and may well have been diagnosed with Dysphagia or a swallowing difficulty. Our Safe Swallowing Education Course helps your understanding of this health issue. https://www.safeswallowing.com.au/take-the-course

Ensuring their meals are appropriately modified to allow for safe swallowing, can be a very tall order for family members. It’s not a simple matter of adding a bit of thickener to their meals or tossing the ingredients into a blender. Mistakes in modifying the consistency of the food we prepare for our elders can be devastating, sometimes leading to choking or the less obvious aspiration which means food or fluid passing into their airway and lungs, instead of their stomach. Aspiration can lead to lung infections and hospitalisation for pneumonia.

Fortunately, there is government funded financial support home care packages. These packages are available from My Aged Care. Our Disability population can access NDIS funding. Whatever level of package you’re approved for, the funding you receive is yours to allocate. You choose what mix of those services you want within your approved package. After all, it’s your independence the package is supporting.

Safe meal preparation by someone who knows the ‘ins and outs’ of modifying them and ensuring their nutritional value can provide enormous relief to family members. I am always on the ‘lookout’ for ways to lighten the load of those with or caring for, our loved ones with Dysphagia.

I have recently come across a Sydney based company that does just that. I trialled a number of their modified meals which included proteins, vegetables and fruits. They were absolutely delicious and precise in terms of complying with the International Dysphagia Diet Standards (IDDSI) https://iddsi.org/framework/. Care Foods Co https://www.carefoodco.com.au/ even offer a free sample pack. I encourage you to try these delicious, well-priced meals to make your life easier.