Tips and Ideas for Senior Care Givers

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyCareGivingStory #CollectiveBias Recently our family grew in a not so traditional way. Great grandma came to live wit us! I am sharing tips and ideas for caring for your elderly loved ones along with a printable check list for temporary senior care givers to use while you are traveling without your loved one. 

For years now my husband and I have been wanting to grow our family. We strongly believed that there was room in our home and our hearts for one more child to love. However, that just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for us. With much thought and soul searching we slowly changed our prayers from “Dear Lord, if it is your will please help us get pregnant and give us another child to love” to “Dear Lord, please grow our family, we are open and ready to love and care for others.” Well, God answered our prayers in an unexpected way. He opened the doors for my husband’s grandmother to come live with us. Our family grew and so did our hearts as we welcomed Nana into our home and lives. Becoming a senior care giver has changed our lives for the better.

Let me tell you a little bit about Nana. She is 92 yrs old and is overall in good health. She does have a few challenging conditions such a dementia and incontinence.  When faced with the challenges of caring for someone with dementia we have learned that flexibility, a sense of humor, and loads of patience are key to helping us all ensure that she is safe and that her needs are being met.

When faced with the challenges of caring for someone wth incontinence we have learned that the key was finding dependable, affordable, and comfortable disposable underwear. We tried a few brands and discovered that Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear for Women were the most comfortable for Nana to wear which is so very important to her and us. The smooth close-to-body fit makes it so Nana feels like she is just wearing regular underwear. In fact, she no longer wears any regular underwear and only wears a pair of Depend Fit-Flex Underwear. This way she is never without protection and is always comfortable.

We will be doing quite a bit of traveling this summer and Nana will be staying home. We have hired in home nurses to come and care for her while we are away. Since, Nana has dementia she doesn’t always remember all of the things she needs to do to care for herself. It is especially difficult for her to remember her daily care routine in the evenings when she is getting ready for bed. Like many folks her dementia and memory gets worse in the evenings.

Senior Care Tip: Create Checklists

I created a checklist for the care givers to use when they are providing assistance as Nana gets ready for bed. Some of these things are unique to Nana but overall the checklist is a good universal list so please print it out if you find it helpful to use when caring for your loved ones.

Senior Care Evening Routine Checklist:

Before getting into bed:

• Take evening medicine with a glass of water
• Brush teeth
• Brush dental appliance and put in dish to soak overnight
• Rinse mouth with mouthwash and water
• Wash face with a warm washcloth
• Change into pajamas
• Use the restroom and change Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear

After getting into bed:

• Use chapstick
• Remove eye glasses
• Administer eye drops
• Ensure basket in bathroom has extra Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear
• Turn on night lights
• Turn off lights

I feel so much better knowing that all of Nana’s needs will be met while I am away even if she forgets that she needs to brush her teeth or change her Depend Underwear.

———>>>>Printable Checklist <<<<—————

Senior Care Resources

I also want to share with you where I buy supplies for Nana and about the valuable caregiver resources you can use to help you care for your older loved ones. I buy briefs for Nana at Sam’s Club. Sam’s has a variety of products in-club to meet various levels of incontinence needs including Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear for Women and Men, Poise® Pads, and Poise® Liners. These products have new packaging so be sure to look for them in the club. Also note: that if you scan the package you are taken to the Sam’s Club Family Caregiving website.

Directions for Scanning Package

• If you download the Digimarc Discovery app, you can scan anywhere on the packaging, and it will drive you to the Sam’s club Caregiver website
• When you open your Depend packaging it will have a sticker inside, that you can use to redeem at pharmacy for an awesome caregiver sample kit

Whether you need to purchase personal care products, refill prescriptions, or find ways to make your home safer for your loved ones you can find everything you need with the Sam’s Club Family Caregiving Program.

Care Tip: Put things where they are easy to find

One other thing I do to prepare for in home care providers is to prepare a basket with all of the essential they might need to provide bathroom assistance. I fill the basket with Depend briefs, no-rinse cleaner, and gloves. I keep the basket stocked for myself too. It just makes it easier if everything I need is readily available. I also make sure that Nana can find extra Depend briefs in case she needs them. I keep them in a drawer by her bed.

Being a senior care giver is not without it’s challenges but the rewards and blessings far surpass the challenges. We have all shared special moments with Nana especially my two boys. They sweetly interact with her throughout the day. She reads to my youngest son and helps him with his school work. My oldest son has started a list of questions he wants to ask her about her life. She loves sharing about her life. They love it when she goes to watch their sporting events. It is such a blessing to have her in our home so we can love on her and ensure that her remaining days are pleasant and happy ones.

Be sure to check out the Sam’s Club Family Caregiving Program, it is a great resource for anyone who is a care giver. We would love to learn your best tips for senior care givers in the comments below.