Caring for the Aged

The world’s population is on the rise and so as the number of elderly people. These individuals are those that experience intense changes with many bodily processes. They are no longer as productive as they were before when they are still young, but we owe a lot of things to them because they are the ones that were working hard during their younger years and contributed much to the society. It is very important to treat them with utmost care and respect. Oftentimes, people find it hard to deal with the elderly most especially if they already have hearing problems and memory problems. This is because their body is undergoing the degeneration process. They are in the stage that they already need assistance and this is the time to give back the love and care, they had given us when we were young.

In dealing with the elderly, it is very important to have patience since most of them already had behaviors that can be in comparison to a child. They are unable to, easily understand instructions, and it’s a challenge to help them with their activities of daily living. Whenever we tell them to do something oftentimes, they are unable to, immediately grasp the instruction so an intervention is to speak in a clear, loud voice and speak closer to the ear of the elderly. This will ensure that the message relay can be easily heard and understood.

It is also very important to possess an attitude that can adapt to the situation of the elderly. When the elderly seems to look uneasy it would be best to sit beside them and encourage them to talk. They are individuals that usually love the company of others and giving them comfort and using effective communication techniques will lighten them up and make them feel treasured and loved. Most of the elderly are usually sent by their family in geriatric homes because most of them are busy with work, and that they think that placing them in such institutions will give them the appropriate care they need.

The elderly loves to reminisce, and it would be better to spend sometime with them scanning photo albums and allowing them to recall important memories of their lives. This will make them happy and when they tell stories it would be best that we become good listeners. They usually love to brag about themselves when they were young and this is a normal response in the elderly.

Oftentimes, they become disoriented and when this happens, it is not good to laugh or get mad at them this will only increase their frustration. The best thing to do here is to acquaint them about the date, time and the location they are in and this will help a lot. They will feel that they are really cared for, and what they are going through is just a normal process of aging. It is also not good to keep asking them about things that they can’t actually remember like names because it will also increase frustration, which is not good for them.

It is also a good idea to promote independence by allowing them to decide on what activities to divulge into. It would be better to give options but the decision should be up to the elderly. Regular activities like gardening, art and other forms of entertainment will keep them from getting bored and allow them to move their body as a form of exercise.

For elderly people that have limited mobility can be assisted by moving them in and out of bed through a wheelchair and allow them to breathe fresh air and feel the sunlight. It will provide them comfort and a sense of worth rather than being stuck in bed with nothing else to do. It would be also best to engage them in groups since most of them have already lost their friends and their social lives have sharply declined. It will make them feel that they are not alone, and that they are able to look for individuals whom they can relate to. It would always be helpful to anticipate their needs not to the extent of doing everything for them but somehow acting as a support person.

Spending time with the elderly is really fun most especially if it is the person’s interest. They are individuals that have already experienced a lot of things in life, and we could learn a lot of things from them in many conversations. The elderly just like everyone else should be respected and treated properly.