by D. P. Noe

Created on: October 12, 2008   Last Updated: June 02, 2010

Elder care should become a focus for all of us. We will all get older and will encounter some of the issues that our older parents and grandparents face every day. Life is full of challenges as you become older in our society. Chances are that you will become involved with the care an older family member and this can very very challenging all by itself.

When you are caring for an elderly family member or friend, you need to have a basic understanding that it is not always an easy task to care for an elderly person. You need to become the watch dog and keep your eyes open to any changes that show impaired judgement or signs of deterioration in their mental or physical status. If an elderly individual suddenly becomes aggressive toward a care giver or lets their personal appearance deteriorate, this is a signal that something is going on. If they were taking daily walks and all of a sudden stop taking their daily walk and stop participating in the activities of daily living, this should cause you to be concerned. This changes can start very slowly or escalate quickly.

When the elderly individual feels secure and cared about, the chances of them becoming confused, agitated or aggressive is less. Encourage them to make as many decisions as possible because it helps them to feel in control and have a sense of value. The elderly sometimes need to be shown a little more patience and do not like to feel rushed.

When caring for the elderly population, it is important that you develop good observation and communication skills. There are situations or certain circumstances that in order to communicate with the elderly, that you use good and clear verbal skills.  As someone ages, you will need to take the time to listen and show patience and you may have to repeat something more than once. It is critical to have a personal sensitivity when you are involved in the life of an elderly individual..

When you communicate with the elderly population, you should keep noise and distraction to a minimum. Get in the habit of using simple words and short sentences. You need to be aware if the person has any visual or hearing impairments. Assist the elderly if they need access to obtain devices such as hearing aids or glasses. Make sure you provide adequate lighting, because vision problems can cause accidents to happen. The bathroom needs to be equipped with safety handles and easy access to the bathtub or shower. Make sure bathroom rugs do not cause a potential

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