Fostering overall health and well-being is and will always be a top priority. Whether you’re old or young, taking care of yourself and others is imperative for a quality life.
Healthcare is all the more crucial for the elderly. Especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, the seniors are the most vulnerable. As much as possible, you must keep them safe and healthy. That way, they can have a quality life during the remaining years of their lives.
Fret not, as we’ve rounded up some elderly care tips for your loved ones. That said, here’s how to take care of your seniors:
1. Consider home health care
Forbes recommends that you keep the elderly care at home for as long as possible. That is where home health care comes into play. In fact, the home health care segment has become the fastest-growing sector during this pandemic due to the threat of novel coronavirus in hospitals or medical settings.
That said, consider hiring nurses or caregivers for your seniors. They can provide your loved ones with not only medical treatments but also non-medical assistance. The home aide services include bathing, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping, and even physical therapy.
2. Focus on personalized care
Elderly care goes beyond medical diagnoses and treatments. Think of memory care for old parents with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Consider palliative care for those with chronic diseases and even hospice care for those with terminal illnesses.
As far as elderly care is concerned, our seniors require personalized care. As much as possible, you need to coordinate care with the right health professionals. The ultimate goal is to ensure your loved ones receive proper care.
3. Ensure social interaction
It’s essential to ensure our seniors continue to have social interaction with people. Don’t leave them isolated at home or in an assisted living facility just because they are old. To foster their physical and mental health, you must ensure their continuous social interaction.
Vive Health has come up with a list of activities specially meant for older people. As such, consider getting your seniors engaged in one or some of these activities. The ultimate goal is to ensure their social interaction to foster their mental health and overall well-being.
4. Maintain constant communication
Apart from social interaction, constant communication is paramount. Regular conversation is all the more vital for older people. Unfortunately, it’s easy for us to dismiss the idea of communicating with our seniors.
Know that you need to understand your loved ones’ physical conditions, emotional needs, and mental state now more than ever. And when it comes to this, communication is the key!
5. Take advantage of digital technologies
It’s good that we’ve come a long way as a modern society. Thanks to digital tools and technologies, we can maintain constant interaction with our seniors. Our health professionals can also provide older people with health care virtually.
During this COVID pandemic, we’ve seen the rise of telehealth, virtual medical care, and remote patient monitoring (RPM). You can even use digital communication and modern technologies to coordinate care for your loved ones, no matter where they are in the world.
6. Check the insurance policy
It’s good that insurance exists for protection. Whether life or health insurance, you must set this in place for your elderly loved one. In fact, your seniors must have long secured these types of insurance. If not, check the list of insurance programs for aging people to see what they can get.
If they already have one, check their policies with the insurance carriers. Be sure to understand their coverage and exclusions. You want to make sure that your loved ones get covered in case of any untoward incident.
7. Foster a safe and healthy environment
Maintaining a safe and healthy environment is paramount for the elderly. Whether staying at home or in an assisted living facility, ensure that the place fosters health and wellness for your seniors.
A safe and healthy environment is all the more crucial during this COVID-19 pandemic. You want to ensure that the place is free of the various strains of the novel coronavirus. As much as possible, you want to protect their health, ensure their mental wellness, and promote their overall well-being.
Taking care of your seniors is imperative. As such, be sure to consider the elderly care tips recommended above. They are all the more crucial during this COVID-19 pandemic.
That said, keep your seniors safe and protected from the threat of the novel coronavirus. As much as possible, ensure they are always healthy. The ultimate goal is to ensure your seniors will have a quality life for as long as possible.
