Taking care of a person with a chronic condition requires serious skill, especially in a home setting. Caregivers have to be part nurse, part friend, and part motivator. You’ll have to deal with a wide range of tasks in an unfamiliar environment, which can be considerably challenging.
According to the CDC, chronic diseases affect 60% of Americans, and 40% of the country suffers from multiple chronic diseases. Chronic diseases also cost the country over $4.1 trillion in annual health care spending.
It’s clearly a serious challenge that many Americans face. In this article, let’s find out how home-based care can be effective for both the caregiver and the patient.
Ensure Contingency Steps Exist to Deal with Emergencies
Many chronic conditions come with the chance of sudden escalation and even a certain risk of death. For instance, in states like Pennsylvania, the number one leading cause of death is heart disease, coming in at 22%. This is followed by cancer (19%), accidents (7%), Covid-19 (6%), and strokes/cerebrovascular disease at 4.6%.
If you’re working as a caregiver, these statistics are worth keeping in mind. Being skilled enough to spot early signs of emergencies is one of the key reasons people hire home care assistance. For instance, if the patient is someone with heart issues and you notice their ankles are a little swollen, that’s something that should trigger red flags.
According to https://www.ameribesthomecare.com/, other signs to watch for include shortness of breath, skin discoloration, and even seemingly simple symptoms like dizziness. Once you have established that it’s an emergency situation, ensure that you have prior-established permission to drive to an ICU or make critical decisions in the moment.
Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself
Many people in the home caregiving industry suffer from immense burnout. The responsibility on your shoulders is heavy. You’re directly responsible for the health and well-being of someone, and even a single mistake comes with serious consequences.
Ironically, this pressure can cause you to slip up. Thus, it’s very important that you take active steps to keep calm and not overstretch yourself. If you’re thinking of getting into this field as a career, ensure that you have the opportunity to work in shifts of some kind.
As the AARP notes, caregiving is taxing on individuals, and close to 40% report they rarely or never feel relaxed. Charlotte Yeh, CMO for AARP, explains that caregivers often feel like they don’t have time for their own medical needs and mental health support sometimes.
You don’t want to be spending six months or more in a high-stakes environment. Even if you love what you do, you want to deliberately take breaks so that you nip any burnout signs before they even appear.
Assess and Pitch Changes to Make the Environment More Care-Friendly
Families enjoy the benefits of home care because, to them, their loved one gets to stay in a familiar environment. However, for caregivers, it’s an environment far different from hospitals and care homes, and that makes home care complicated. Thus, if the family is flexible, consider suggesting small changes.
For example, some chronic conditions might lead to frequent passing of urine or stools. If the patient’s room is far from the bathroom and mobility issues exist, suggest moving to a room with an attached bathroom. This would greatly help reduce the stress and mess of spreading germs by carrying waste across the home.
Likewise, if the home features thick rugs, these could be a serious trip hazard. You could suggest these be replaced with non-slip mats and justify the move by explaining that slips can worsen chronic conditions, such as dementia.
On another note, in case home care involves night stay as well, ensure that a dedicated room is there for you, preferably close to the patient. This enables you to check on the patient and hear them in case they suddenly need help at night.
At the end of the day, chronic conditions tend to be long-term situations, and this requires the patient, family, and caregiver to set appropriate expectations. You’ll have good days and days when the condition acts up and causes distress. In those moments, it’s crucial that you, as a caregiver, show patience and lend an ear instead of being dismissive.
