If you’re a family member and caregiver to a loved one with dementia, you’re going to need as much help as you can get to cope with watching a parent begin to lose touch with reality.
Your parent will know that they’re no longer able to function mentally as they did before, which is going to lead to an initial sense of vulnerability in the face of the sheer loss of these abilities.
Becoming a specialised caregiver in certain illnesses results in you needing to increase your knowledge not only around the illness but also on ways in which you can be efficient in your job. Caregivers become extended family members as they are involved in the day to day activities of loved ones who need additional support. If you’re looking for someone to assist you for a family member who is suffering from cancer, here are some things you should know.
Looking for a caregiver doesn’t have to be as stressful as people make it out to be. From reducing your own stress levels and having the ability to ensure your loved one receives the correct care they need, these are just two of the great benefits. When it comes to hiring a caregiver, one should know the benefits of working through a professional company offering caring services in comparison to hiring a private caregiver.
Going into hospital for any big procedure can be an overwhelming experience for anyone. Part of this process is having to decide and arrange what your postoperative plan is going to be. By having this defined and in place before having your surgery, you won’t have to worry about any additional stress. Here are some of the ways in which you can plan for your recovery process:
An important factor when hiring a caregiver is the schedule they need to follow to ensure their new patient gets the assistance they need. From medication and food schedules to planning rehabilitation sessions, these are just three of the basic schedules to be put into place for patients. Here are factors to take into consideration which will allow you the ability of creating a care plan which will meet your needs.
CareChamp, run by a management team who have combined their own experience in private hospitals and home nursing placements with business technology, have gone to every length to make assisting families with aging relatives as stress-free as possible.
The result is a team that is able to offer many different options designed to offer the best in homecare to suit your loved one’s life, one that is of a better quality in the latter years of their lives.
The management team, caregivers, companions and registered nurses at CareChamp know this well, and have done all they can to make life easier for families caring for aging, frail parents.
It’s been said that we start out in nappies and end up the same way, or that we start out in prams and end up in wheelchairs, and it’s true, no matter how hard it is to accept.
“A society that does not value it's older people denies it's roots and endangers it's future. Let us strive to enhance their capacity to support themselves for as long as possible and, when they cannot do so anymore, to care for them.” Nelson Mandela
The CareChamp Team visited CPOA Arcadia place in Observatory for our 67 minutes dedicated to Mandela Day. We spent time with the residents listening to their fascinating stories. The team also assisted with washing the residents' hands after coffee and tea as well as to buff and paint nails for some of the ladies.
With the rising financial cost of private frail care facilities, more and more families have opted to care for aging frail relatives at home. However, becoming the family caregiver of a parent or relative with Alzheimer’s carries an even higher cost on an emotional and physical level.
Watching a parent fade away physically is hard enough, but seeing the changes in personality and loss of memory is simply devastating to the family.
Helplessness is one of the most common emotions shared by families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s because they know that the decline is inevitable, whether it happens over a long period of time or takes hold quickly.
Once it has been confirmed that Alzheimer’s is setting in, families are faced with the reality that their beloved aging parent will be facing their final years dealing with:
· Memory loss
· Confused thought processes
· Lack of judgement
· An inability to problem-solve
· Personality change
Other challenges facing the family, parent or relative include an escalation from mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s, to the final stages of severe dementia.
Dementia has a profound impact on intellectual and social abilities, so much so that even the most basic daily functions are curtailed. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the level of dementia, but, without a doubt, it’s a devastating experience to watch a loved one reach a point where they are unable to care for themselves properly.
There is also very little doubt that dementia caregivers have it a lot rougher than those taking care of a mentally healthy elder in the family.
Watching the decline of a loved one with dementia is overwhelmingly stressful, which is why it’s important to know as much as possible about Alzheimer’s and dementia going in, so that family caregivers are given a fighting chance of rising above the emotional personal cost.
Physical and mental exhaustion, piled on top of tremendous stress can begin a downward spiral into depression for an unsupported family caregiver looking after a parent or relative with Alzheimer’s.
Without outside help from other family members, or respite from professional caregivers, Alzheimer’s will claim the lives of more than just an elderly parent on an emotional and physical level!
For those who are sole caregivers to a parent with Alzheimer’s, without the support of family or friends, life becomes a battle field of trying to juggle bringing in an income and at the same time experiencing high levels of stress as the caregiver worries about the parent being left alone during working hours.
In cases like this it’s essential to find community support. Community support can alleviate the stress of leaving an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s alone during working hours, and can also be of immense value in terms of offering emotional and psychological support to the caregiver.
If you know someone who is caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimers, offer help where you can, because you can be sure that they are battling with major physical, mental and emotional stress on a daily basis.
The ultimate answer to Alzheimer’s care in Cape Town is to contact CareChamp. This dedicated team of professionals will tailor an affordable solution that will bring the physical, mental and emotional stress down to a bearable level, allowing the family caregiver the opportunity to be the best version of themselves during one of the most difficult experiences life can present.
Contact CareChamp today to find out more about what they can offer in terms of Alzheimer’s care, disabled care and companionship.
Speak to anyone who has had to act as main caregiver for an elderly frail person and you will find that you are not alone in the emotional and physical toll it can take on you.
Everything else falls by the wayside. Even simple errands such as replenishing the grocery cupboard or the pleasure of having coffee with friends become very difficult.
No matter how much we love our elderly frail parents, most of us are ill-prepared to take on the role of caring for them, especially if there is little or no other support.
Even if there is a good support system in the family, the main caregiver faces a risk of poor health themselves from the demanding and complex role that has been taken on.
Caring for an elderly frail parent, especially one with chronic or disabling conditions adds a complex range of physical and mental health issues over a sustained period of time.
Impact of caregiving on mental health for family caregivers:
No matter how well-balanced and positive a family caregiver may be, there is no doubt that after any sustained period of caring for an elderly frail parent or relative, there will be psychological repercussions to deal with.
High levels of anxiety, depression and stress are very common effects for family members who are sole caregivers for elderly parents.
Research shows that anywhere between 30 to 70% of family caregivers show pretty significant symptoms of depression, with some even reaching the all-time lows of major depression.
Family members caring for elderly relatives with dementia and Alzheimer’s reach even higher levels of stress and depression as they watch the major personality changes that take place as these diseases progress.
Feelings of anger, frustration, exhaustion, guilt and helplessness become part of daily life for the caregiver, stemming from an inability to deal with the fact that nothing seems to improve, no matter how hard they try.
A main family caregiver would have to be a saint not to have days on which they direct their anger and frustration at the parent living with dementia, when in fact, it’s a normal response to an untenable situation as they watch a loved lose their identity day by day.
Impact of caregiving on physical health for family caregivers:
The combination of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems that arise in caregivers are merely compounded by the physical of caring for an elderly frail loved on.
In the process of caring for a frail family member or friend no longer able to carry out many of the activities associated with daily life, caregivers are themselves at risk of poor physical health and hygiene.
Assisting an elderly frail relative with simple routines like bathing, grooming and other personal care is definitely going to take its toll on the physical health of the family caregiver.
As physical health deteriorates in the caregiver, health issues such as lowered immune systems, physical aches and pains, headaches and other issues make it even more difficult to maintain a positive, balanced attitude to the role being played as caregiver.
Another negative effect that plagues many a family caregiver is that a lack of energy and time may inevitably lead to letting self-care slip as a result of a lack of energy and time, and the same goes for nutritional care.
The best thing that can be done for a family caregiver is to make sure that there is respite, which could be in the form of having a professional caregiver come in once or twice a week to give the caregiver a bit of time to recharge their batteries.
CareChamp has an awesome team of caregivers available to assist on a flexible basis at excellent rates, which will give any family caregiver the opportunity to do some of the things they miss doing.
It’s a known fact that a family member taking care of an elderly frail parent will also reach a point where, as a result of the depression that can manifest, loses interest in activities and withdraws from friends, until there is nothing left to stimulate them and lift their mood.
Let the passionate team of professionals at CareChamp lend a hand. The support of caregivers and companions from CareChamp will go a long way to alleviating the negative impact on physical and mental health for any family caregiver.
CareChamp is not limited to offering the highest standard in home based nursing services, caregivers and companions.
This team has also gone all out to provide a comprehensive range of mobility aids and homecare furniture in Cape Town, to make life more comfortable for elderly frail and disabled relatives being cared for at home.
Simple, daily activities that we take for granted as young and healthy individuals, become major challenges for aging, disabled relatives and younger disabled family members.
Physical hygiene is one of the first areas that begin to slip away due to the major challenges presented by toilets, showers and baths that aren’t rigged to make maintaining personal hygiene something that doesn’t require herculean effort for a frail or disabled person.
In the case of someone trapped in a wheel chair, simply using the bathroom becomes an experience that is virtually impossible, and we owe it to our aging loved ones, or loved ones living with a physical disability, to raise their quality of life in every way possible.
It’s also not just about comfort. It’s about dignity and independence, and holding on to privacy and independence for as long as is possible under the specific circumstances!
After living a full life, raising children and bouncing grandchildren as well as great-grandchildren on their knees, our parents deserve the best that we are able to give them to ease the physical limitations age may place on them.
The one thing that most elderly frail family members have in common is the determination to retain as much of their independence as possible, until the day they finally have to accept that they are no long able to remain independent without the assistance of a caregiver.
The combination of excellent patient care combined with the provision of affordable physical aids, when well-balanced, goes a long way to enabling elderly or disabled people to stay in their own home for as long as possible.
A flexible care plan can be arranged with the management team at CareChamp, so that a good balance is struck between care, where it’s necessary, and the retention of certain areas of independence through the use of mobility aids and furniture for the elderly or disable person.
Among the mobility aids and furniture available online you will find:
· Wheelchairs
· Bath stools
· Toilet seats
· Shower chairs – wall mounted & shower chair with back and arm rest
· Commodes
· Grab bar’s
· Walker’s
· Memory foam wheelchair cushions
· Egg Box Mattresses…and much, much more!
The CareChamp online shop offers an easy experience for those shopping for mobility aids and furniture, with the option of selecting a three month rental option on some of the higher priced products.
Although CareChamp is based in Cape Town, this team delivers all their services, from the best in home caregivers and companions to high quality, affordable mobility aids and furniture throughout all the major centres in South Africa!
Whether you need the helping hand of a thoroughly vetted caregiver, full-time or part-time, or high quality mobility aids and furniture, make sure you call the friendly team of experts at CareChamp today, to make sure your loved one is receiving the very best in care
CareChamp is endorsing our partner Physiotherapy@Home. We have the same ethos around "quality of care" and the belief that elder heal and age best in the comfort of their own home.
Don’t wait until you’re literally crawling on your knees out of exhaustion from caring for an elderly frail parent or relative before you call for support from others in a similar situation!
You will not be the first, nor will you be the first!
Regular respite with the help of CareChamp Caregivers and Companions will make a major difference to you when you start feeling utterly exhausted and overwhelmed.
Being a caregiver to a loved one is demanding on your time, energy and emotions, and even if the breaks you get aren’t long, they will have a positive influence on your ability to successfully care for an aging relative who is frail, or living with Alzheimer’s.
Being the family caregiver is a job for the bravest of brave, but even champions need to rest in order to gather their strength before the next big challenge!
The last thing you should do is guilt yourself out of asking for help! A loving circle of friends and family will also contribute greatly to keeping your strength up, physically and emotionally!
In the absence of this kind of support, CareChamp offers fully vetted, highly trained and compassionate Caregivers and Companions who are able to take over for a while, to give you a chance to stop and smell the roses.
It’s going to mean more than just a bit of an adjustment for the person receiving care to accept the presence of a stranger in the home, however, the management team at CareChamp applies many years of experience to making sure that you and your loved one will be matched with the perfect Caregiver.
Welcoming respite is going to be easier on you than your loved one, and you may face objections such as:
· I don’t need a babysitter, I’ll be fine on my own.
· I don’t want a stranger with me, you’re the only one I trust.
It’s going to be a lot like it is when trying to convince a child that they’ll enjoy playschool and all the friends they’ll make, when all they want is to stay with you, but with the deep understanding of these issues, the team at CareChamp has, the transition can be made less stressful.
Once you’ve worked out a flexible, affordable care schedule with CareChamp, make sure that you plan well for your break. Make it a time to nurture and care for yourself to shore up your strength for the next leg of the journey. Don’t push it and try to fit too much into too little time. This’ll just be self-defeating!
And don’t let guilt eat at you, because it will try to lower your resolve to keep up your own strength and health!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing a bit of time away, and if you’re having trouble convincing yourself of this, speak to someone who has used respite caregivers, they’ll make it a lot easier for you to let go a little!
If you retain your health, physically and mentally, you will have far more to give your elderly frail parent!
If you’re already experiencing symptoms of burnout like impatience, exhaustion, frustration and difficulty in dealing with the demands of caregiving, you’ll know it’s time to do something positive about it, for you and for your loved one!
Work with the management team at CareChamp to plan a respite schedule that suits you so that you can start getting excited about what this type of trusted help will do to give you a boost in strength you really do deserve!
CareChamp offers the highest standard in homecare, caregivers, in-home nursing and companions in Cape Town, which is where they are headquartered.
Their caregiving services are also available in all major centres in South Africa, providing caregivers who have received the highest level in training and certification!
Find out more about what CareChamp can do to offer you respite from a trusted team of caregivers who have all had police and health clearance, fill in their online contact form, or give the team a call!
Go on, take the plunge! You and your family deserve to have you happy and healthy even in challenging circumstances.
Are you caring for a loved one but starting to feel stretched and stressed out from it? There’s no need to panic as there are numerous ways in which you can get assistance, one of which is to hire a caregiver. The biggest advantage of this is the ability to relieve you of some stress of having to care for someone and give you the opportunity to get to the things you've been able to attend to.
For some, introducing this into a family to assist with the caring process can prove to be challenging as the person requiring the care might not be comfortable with someone they don't know into their home and their private space. If you’re in the process of looking for a carer, here are some ways in which they can relieve some stress for yourself.
Ability To Do More Than Just Being A Carer
Depending on the severity of the situation and care required, by getting a carer in, it’ll free up some of your time to get back to doing the activities you used to do. If it isn’t activity, it can give you the freedom to visit the shops or take some time out to gather yourself and unwind.
Build Up Confidence In The Person Receiving The Care
Often when looking after a family member, because they know its family, the person may tend to lash out quicker than if it was someone new. By hiring a carer, they can assist the patient in building up their confidence and enable them rather than the person becoming completely reliant on getting assistance.
Getting A Qualified Person In To Assist
Often people don’t know what the person requiring assistance is going through. By getting a carer in, you can get someone who is more qualified to assist you in the caring process. As they've more likely to have experience in dealing with people in that particular condition, they’ll support the person from an emotional as well as physical perspective.
Putting Together A Care Plan
It might sound silly but by getting a carer in, you've more chance of the person buying into participating in a care plan. This care plan can serve the purpose of encouraging the recovery process or it can be simply to ensure the carer is completing the necessary tasks you've asked them to.
These are just some ways in which hiring a carer can assist in reducing your stress. If you’re considering getting assistance for a loved one, be sure to consider the team at Carechamp. With their combined years of experience, they've built up a network of qualified carers covering numerous medical conditions.
Having to care for a loved one doesn’t have to be as stressful as people make it out to be. Sometimes, getting assistance from a professional company for a short period of time might be all you need just to get on your feet when it comes to caring for a loved one. If you’re looking for assistance and not sure where to start, here are some tips to assist you in finding and employing the right caregiver.
Reach Out To A Professional Company Such As Carechamps
With their combined years of experience, they’ve put together a network of carers who have the ability to assist across a wide variety of medical conditions. By making use of their services, you can be sure your loved one will be cared for by a professional carer. Be sure to contact the team to discuss your requirements and allow them to match you up with the right carer.
Be Sure To Interview Carers Until You Feel Comfortable
As this person will be within your loved ones home and personal space, it's important to ensure both you and your loved one feel comfortable with the potential carer. Once you’ve reached out to a professional company, put together a list of potential carers and allow your loved one to meet them. By doing this, you’ve a better chance of them buying into the idea of someone coming in to assist with caring for them.
Request Recommendations and References
Once you’ve managed to find a potential carer, request references from previous employers. This will give you a good understanding as to what their work ethic is like and if you should offer them employment. This also gives you the opportunity to find out what other employers thought of them.
Invite Them For A Trial Period
To ensure you’re satisfied with the person, you can request for a trial period to be completed before you bring the person on on a short or long term contract. This gives your loved one the opportunity to first find their rhythm and build up their confidence with the person. Should they not feel comfortable with the person, this gives you the option to try out another carer. You can continue this process until your loved one feels comfortable.
These are just some of the steps in the process of finding and employing a carer that meets your needs and requirements. Following these tips can assist you not only to find someone compatible with your loved ones but also someone you can trust to leave alone. This gives you the freedom to start doing the things you weren’t getting to for yourself and your family. Be sure to contact the team at Carechamp and discuss your needs, they’re more than willing to assist you find the right person.