When taking care of an elderly person, there are different tasks they may require assistance with. Some of these tasks include eating, bathing, and dressing. It is necessary to remember that there may be many tasks that are challenging for your elderly loved one. If they need help with these types of tasks, there are many ways they can get it. One of the easiest ways is to hire elder care providers. For now, keep reading here for some eating, bathing, and dressing tips for the elderly.
Eating Tips
Unfortunately, there are many elderly people who struggle with eating. They may be discouraged from eating because they are in pain or because they are feeling sick. Some elderly people can’t focus well or there are too many distractions for them to eat. If your elderly loved one is having issues with eating, some of the tips to help them include the following:
- Give them a balanced meal
- Make mealtimes routine (have them at set times each day)
- Give snacks throughout the day
- Remove distractions at mealtimes
- Have someone such as yourself or an elder care provider eat with them
- Keep things as calm as possible before mealtimes to prevent stress during the meal
These are some of the best eating tips for the elderly. If you or an elder care provider can help your loved one with these things, they should start eating better. If, at any time, you are overly worried about your elderly loved one’s eating habits, take them to their doctor.
Bathing Tips
There are some elderly people who experience issues with bathing, as well. For example, some elderly people won’t take baths often enough because they are scared of falling. Other elderly people may not be able to move well enough to wash their hair. These are just some examples of what your elderly loved one might go through. If they are having difficulties bathing, some of the ways you or an elder care provider can help include the following:
- Talk to them about receiving help (this is important for respect and privacy reasons)
- Create bathtime or shower time routines (do this during times of the day when your loved one is calmer)
- When helping your loved one in the bathroom, tell them ahead of time what you are doing
- Always talk to your loved one in a calm manner when helping with bathing tasks
- Ask your loved one what they need help with for bathing (don’t overstep)
If you do these things to help your elderly loved one with bathing, they will likely feel respected. This may encourage them to ask for help with other things, as well.
Dressing Tips
Your elderly loved one may need help getting dressed and undressed, too. Many elderly people will struggle with buttoning and zipping things up. They may also struggle with putting their clothes on, taking clothes off, or picking out clothes. Some of the ways you and elder care providers can help include the following:
- Helping your loved one pick out clothese
- Helping your loved one get dressed (if they need the help)
- Assisting with getting undressed as needed
- Choosing clothes at the store that are easier to get on and off
If you or an elder care provider help your loved one with these things, it can make their day a lot easier.
Conclusion
These are some of the eating, bathing, and dressing tips for the elderly. You may need to use these when caring for your elderly loved one.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Wake Forest, NC please contact the caring staff at Affordable Family Care. Serving Raleigh, Greensboro, and the surrounding areas in North Carolina. Call today 919-676-1070.
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