Since your dad’s heart attack, his energy levels are slowly returning, but it’s taking time. You’ve switched to part-time hours for now to help him, and other family members are also helping out. There are issues arising when it comes to his hygiene and grooming. You all need to stay organized, but it’s hard. What’s the best way to build a family caregiver calendar to stay on track, especially with personal care needs that may be less appealing for people to take on?
Create a Comprehensive List
Create a comprehensive list that covers everything family caregivers need to know. You’ll want a daily list of tasks like medications, meals, exercise requirements, showers, dressing, oral care, etc. If your dad needs help with toileting, that goes on the list.
Some chores are not necessary every day. This includes things like washing his hair, changing his sheets, cleaning his dentures or bridge, doing the laundry, and helping him shave his face. Those can go on a list of weekly chores.
Use a Cloud Service Like Google Drive
You want something that everyone can access from their phones or computers. Google Drive is free and accessible from anywhere. Make a spreadsheet with the dates and times of appointments and a list of the tasks your dad needs help completing.
Share it with other family caregivers. Make sure there is a column for notes or a drop-down menu or checklist that people can use to show a chore has been completed for the day. At the end of the day, you can reset the list.
Google Drive is handy, but it may not be ideal for your family. Other options include Microsoft Teams if people have Microsoft Office. There are also apps and websites you can get like CaringBridge that are free for family caregivers.
Consider His Comfort Level
Divide the tasks into personal care and others. Personal care will be the grooming and hygiene chores that are too strenuous for him to do on his own. It includes things like sitting and standing at the toilet, taking a shower, brushing and flossing his teeth, shaving his face, trimming his nails, and applying moisturizer.
He may not want his daughter helping him with showers and toileting. If he’s more comfortable with a man helping with those tasks or a professional caregiver from a personal care at home provider over a family member, try your best to ensure that’s what happens.
Arrange For Personal Care Aides to Help Out
Lighten your load as a family caregiver by pairing the help you offer with the services from a personal care at home agency. You don’t have to be the only person helping your dad take care of himself.
Personal care at home aides can help him with grooming and hygiene while you focus on other chores like housekeeping and laundry. Learn more by talking to a specialist in personal care services.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Personal Care at Home in Gainesville, VA please contact the caring staff at Passion Home Health Solutions LLC today at. 703-462-9141
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