5 tips to assist an elderly person with the right physical and mental strength
In today's society, the elderly in full health are a great resource especially for their children and grandchildren: they replace the babysitter, accompany the children to school or play sports, help with their homework and, increasingly, give their own financial support when it is needed.
But over the years, things can change and many "middle-aged" women and men face a difficult challenge: on the one hand, parenting their children and on the other parenting their parents or having to do it anyway. caring for a loved one in need of long-term care because of a chronic illness, disability or any other condition of non self-sufficiency. A condition - in Italy - that unites more and more people, who every day try to find solutions that are as stable as possible and, above all, a little peace of mind.
Yes, because learning to take care of those who used to take care of us is not a joke and we do not invent ourselves in this role; it is the challenge faced by men and women who are involved in caring for an elderly person. A challenge that often leads people to have to untangle themselves like acrobats between home, children, work, doctors and paperwork for access to care.
How not to be taken by discouragement and stress and remain lucid, reconciling the needs of one's life (and of one's family) with the needs of those we assist?
Here are five tips that can help you manage the needs of the person you are caring for and yours as well.
1. Accept outside help
At the beginning, the idea of getting help from someone "outside the family" is not even taken into consideration because it is experienced as a sort of "discharge" of responsibilities and above all because one is convinced that they can do it alone. But accepting help, such as a caregiver at certain times of the day, does not mean abandoning your parent or relative.
Those who do not accept it are forced to sacrifice their lives, their commitments and those of their children, thus creating great discomfort within the new family system. An accumulation of tensions could arise that the family can no longer bear. The sense of duty must not prevail over our life because there is a risk of creating problems and fractures.
2. Do not underestimate the needs of the elderly person and equip yourself with the right tools
The human being is a complex machine, made up of multiple levels connected to each other: the physical, psychological, cognitive, spiritual and social dimensions. As we age, it becomes inevitable to face a clear reduction in functional reserves, a condition that ends up exposing us to an increased risk of disorders and diseases (both chronic and transient), with complications that can lead to the progressive loss of autonomy.
Having the correct tools therefore becomes very important to limit the discomfort of the elderly patient who feels increasingly dependent on others. From the walker to the liftable bed, from cutlery to improve grip to the most correct hygiene products: everything that can support the elderly person - and those who care for them - certainly has a positive impact on the well-being of both.
Among the novelties on the market, the HARTMANN diapers with elasticated wings MoliCare Elastic can be particularly useful, designed specifically for hypomobile or bedridden people who suffer from moderate to severe incontinence. MoliCare Elastic are available in different degrees of absorbency and sizes and, to understand when they need to be replaced, simply check if the change notch indicator is discolored, so that the person can be changed promptly. In this way it can improve the quality of life of the caregiver and of the patient, reducing diaper application times by 20%, with less physical stress for the caregiver and greater dignity for the elderly.
3. Don't neglect your needs
Creating a daily routine, planning the activities to be carried out at home and those outside, will help you to optimize everything and have more time available to dedicate to yourself and your family. A routine with repetitive gestures and respect for timetables will also be useful in reducing the stress of your loved one and avoiding bad moods.
There is no right way to create a daily routine, everyone has to experiment and adapt to their routine what is best for themselves and the person they care for until they find the right formula, considering the habits of the person they care for. which he takes care of, planning the most demanding activities, such as medical visits, at the time of day when the person is most active and reactive, leaving as much autonomy as possible without creating confusion, creating a weekly menu in the kitchen, establishing what to eat for each day of the week, in order to correctly vary the diet and have less thought during the day.
In this way, already knowing what you have to do for the person you take care of, you will also know immediately what your free moments will be and you can organize yourself promptly to meet your needs as well.
4. Find out about financial aid
Caring for a loved one who is not self-sufficient is not easy: it requires several sacrifices, it takes us physically, emotionally but also economically.
We rarely talk about the rights that the law provides for caregiver, but it is good to remember, for example, the law 104/92, which protects those who take care of an elderly family member with different tools in order to facilitate the task of assistance. The main prerequisite for being able to access the benefits guaranteed by law 104/92 is that the patient has been recognized as having a serious disability.
To obtain it, the patient or his / her delegate must submit the application for the assessment of civil disability to the INPS electronically. If the procedure is successful, the caregiver has the right to convert his working hours from full time to part time for a maximum of two years and has the right to the recognition of notional social security contributions (i.e. as if he continues to work full time), has the possibility of being included in the protected categories and of receive more support from the employer, and are entitled to paid days off (within the terms established by law 104).
5. Learn to save on daily expenses
To ensure the right assistance to loved ones and at the same time have an eye on family expenses, it is good to evaluate some aspects that can help you save on some expenses.
For example, know that you can benefit from a 19% personal income tax deduction on expenses for basic care workers (home helps, carers). You must be in possession of a medical certificate of non self-sufficiency or that certifies the need for constant surveillance of the person.
Also remember that you can offload medical bills. At the end of the year, 19% of the expenses incurred for medical treatment and health care (nurses, physiotherapists, etc.) can be deducted. Expenses for many things are deductible, including: surgery, non-refundable or partially refundable medicines, medical devices, such as diapers and sleepers, and the rental or purchase of medical equipment, such as a blood pressure monitor or oximeter.
Do not forget, however, that the deduction of medical expenses requires that you have the relevant receipt or invoice that necessarily includes the purchaser's tax code, the price of each drug or service and, in the case of drugs, the quantity.
