Being an adult carer can certainly be an exhausting task. However, when it comes to older friends or family members, wanting to provide the best care for them is natural and desirable. Read on for some tips to assist and help you with your caring responsibilities.
1. Monitor your loved one’s activities of daily living
Activities of daily living, or ADL, simply refers to the basic tasks that we complete as active, independent humans. These include dressing, feeding and personal hygiene. Frontier management provides professional and tailored information and help in relation to activities of daily living, which can expand your knowledge of how to best take care of your loved one. If you notice that they are struggling with completing these activities themselves, or if there are specific ones that they need help with, the necessary and appropriate informed actions can be then be taken to assist them.
2. Plan ahead and be organised
You may be wondering and asking yourself what has planning got to do with caring? Or plan for what? Well, as a carer you likely have a lot on your plate and many tasks to complete, with often strict and rigid timescales. From preparing food, cleaning, and going on errands, you are always on the move. So, identifying what you need to do and by when, can help de-clutter your mind. You can then focus on doing what needs to be done, without the added burden of worrying if you have forgotten to do an important task. One way to do this is by making a list or writing down all the activities that need to be completed in a diary, planner, or schedule. You can organise this in whatever way suits you best, but it is recommended that you plan for the long-term too. So perhaps, listing down everything you would like to do on a weekly, monthly, or if you are feeling ambitious, yearly basis will be of great help, especially when it comes to managing your time.
3. Don’t forget you time
As mentioned earlier, caring for an adult can take up a lot of your time, leaving you more prone to stress and burnout, which nobody wants. So, make sure you take some time out every now and again to catch a breath of fresh air. You are human after all and need to be cared for, too! Taking some ‘you’ time can involve going on a walk, doing some exercise, talking to a friend or family member, or simply doing what you love. It does not have to impede on your caring responsibilities, but rather, will most likely make you feel more ready and energised to tackle the challenges and tasks ahead.
4. Think about the future
While this may be difficult, it is important to think realistically about the future. Will you be able to stick to the caring responsibilities in the long-term? Will you need extra help eventually? How will you mange caring responsibilities with potential future developments (i.e., events, plans and jobs)?
Taking the initiative and carefully considering some of these questions will likely save you a lot of time and hassle in the future.
