As a family caregiver, you know you’re needed for more than just companionship. Depending on the physical and mental status of the person you care for, your role may be advisory or require active involvement yourself or with the services of an outside agency. These are some of the roles you may need to fulfill:
1. Financial advisor. As a financial advisor, you may need to assist the person you are caring for with arranging for automatic withdrawal to pay recurring bills or writing out checks for your family member to sign. You may need to assist with tax forms or help find an accountant or tax service. If the people you care for are unable to handle their own finances at all, it will be important to have the legal authority to make financial decisions on their behalf.
2. Diet and meals. One of your caregiver duties is to assure that your family member has access to well-balanced nutritional meals and snacks. You may decide to prepare meals yourself, or you may contract with an agency such as Meals On Wheels to provide one or more meals per day. If the people you care for are still able to cook their own meals, your involvement may be to help with menu planning, shopping, and cooking.
3. Cleaning and household maintenance. A realistic evaluation of your family member’s ability is essential in making good decisions in this area. While Mom can still handle the dusting, she may find it difficult to wash the floor or clean the tub. You may choose to do these tasks yourself or investigate cleaning services that will come to clean periodically.
4. Laundry. Besides washing and drying the clothes properly, it also has to be hung or folded and put in a drawer. The family members you are a caregiver for may be able to do this by themselves or be unable to do it at all. Perhaps the laundry is located in the basement and Mom is unable to safely navigate a flight of stairs. Can your Mom safely carry the clean clothes from the laundry to the bedroom? Also, think about minor repairs or replacing a missing button. Evaluate the type of clothes Mom wears. Is it easy-care permanent press, or is Mom still trying to iron her favorite cotton blouses?
5. Personal care and hygiene. Can the people you care for shower or bathe independently? Do they need help with trimming their nails? You may need to transport and assist them with getting haircuts. These are all considerations to ensure your family members keep up with their hygiene.
6. Safety. One of the most important caregiver duties is to provide a safe environment. Is the lighting in the home adequate? Are there throw rugs that can become potential slip and fall risks? Does the tub or shower have non-slip strips? Are there handrails at every stairway? Is the hot water heater temperature set so high that it poses a serious burn risk? Meals On Wheels, along with the Home Depot Foundation, has developed a checklist for in-home safety for the elderly that is available to the public. It is a great starting point for ensuring safety in the home.
7. Medical and Dental Care. This may be as simple as making sure Mom and Dad have their annual checkups with their doctors and two cleaning visits with their dentists. However, you may need to monitor their medications and make sure they are taking them as prescribed. If you are assisting Mom and Dad in the shower, it’s a great opportunity to assess their bodies for bruising, skin breakdown, rashes, etc. Check if their lower legs seem swollen. Are there any complaints of pain or discomfort? Shoes too tight? Toenails too long? Are they experiencing toothaches? As a family caregiver, do you have coverage for when you’re gone or if there is an emergency? Medical and dental care encompass a great deal of responsibility.
A final note: this is an evolving process. The appropriate decisions today may not be so six months from now. Be flexible. Remember, always ask for help when you need it, whether from family and friends or an agency that provides in-home caregiving. It’s crucial to your health and the health of your family member to ensure you stay healthy and don’t burn out.]]>
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