Home Care and Care Giver Tips & Resources
Support:
Taking care of loved ones at home is very stressful. It can be emotionally and physically taxing especially when you have minimal or no assistance. There are many resources available to assist you with support and education. I have listed many of the online resources below. |
Other suggestions for support and assistance include:
- Support groups through hospitals and specific disease foundations like cancer support groups..
- If your loved one has been in the hospital recently you can contact a social worker or case manager for assistance.
- If you have a Visiting Nurse's Association or other home health agencies in your area you can call or go online for resource information
- Check for respite programs through churches, temples and volunteer organizations
- Check with local nursing schools and nurse's aid programs to see if students need experience with home care
- Call 2-1-1
Caring for Your Loved One at Home
People who are sick, elderly and/or bedridden are at higher risk for many problems. These include
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10 Tips for Home Care:
- Wash your hands before and after providing care
- Clean your loved one's skin as soon as it gets wet or dirty from urine and/or bowel movements. Use mild soaps to wash the skin and gently pat dry.
- Inspect the skin at least once a day. Pay particular attention to areas of bony prominences (i.e. back of the head, elbows, buttocks, heals). Bathing time is the best time to do this. Report open sores and non-healing wounds to the doctor.
- Turn your loved one/make sure they change positions every 2 hours to prevent pressure ulcers (bed sores).
- Encourage coughing and deep breathing every 2 hours during waking hours for loved ones who are bedridden or have limited mobility.
- Assist with passive and/or active range of motion exercises
- Ensure an appropriate diet and prevent complications during feeding. Keep the head of the bed elevated at at least 30º.
- Safety proof the home to prevent falls and other accidents.
- Keep a folder or binder with your loved one's medical information. This includes keeping a current list of all medications and OTC drugs, your loved one's medical history, the name and number of medical contacts and a list of current problems/concerns and questions for the doctor . Bring this to the doctors' appointments and have available when calling the doctor.
- Don't forget to take care of YOU!
Resources:
Caregiver:
Equipment:
Home Care & Respite Services:
Home Health Nursing Resources:
Home Safety:
Medications:
Organizations:
Skin and Wound Care:
Special Issues:
- American Heart Association
- A Planning Guide for Families
- Caregiver
- Caregiver Booklet (World Health Organization)
- Caregivers 101
- Caregivers (FamilyDoctor.org)
- Caregivers Community (Shield Healthcare)
- Caregiver Guide (Nat'l Institute on Aging)
- Caregiver Resources
- The Caregiver's Handbook
- Caregiver Resource Center (AARP)
- Caregiving Support & Help: Tips for Making Family Caregiving Easier
- Caring for the family caregiver
- Caring for the Patient With Cancer at Home: A Guide for Patients and Families
- Considerations when choosing a home health agency
- Family Caregiver Handbook
- Family Caregiving (American Red Cross Safety) Paperback (Currently availble on Amazon.com)
- Family Caregiver
- Family Caregiver
- Home Care of Hospice Patient
- How to Care for a Bedridden Patient
- Lotsa Helping Hands
- New Caregivers: What to Expect (aging.com)
- One Place for Special Needs
- Palliative Care (World Health Organization)
- Resources for Caregivers
- Top 10 Tips for Caregivers of Bedridden Patients
- What a Family Caregiver Needs to Know
Equipment:
Home Care & Respite Services:
- Home Care Services (Medline Plus)
- Home Care Tasks checklist
- HomeHealthCareAgencies.com
- National Association for Home Care and Hospice
- National Respite Network
- Starbright World
Home Health Nursing Resources:
Home Safety:
- American Red Cross
- Home safety checklist
- Home Safety Tips
- Home Safety Video
- Preventing Falls
- Safety as You Go From Hospital to Home
- Senior Fall Prevention Video
- Tips to Keep You from Falling (Parkland)
Medications:
Organizations:
- Aging Care
- Alzheimer's Association
- American Association of People with Disabilities
- American Caner Society
- American Society on Aging
- Arthritis Foundation
- Caregiver Action Network
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Disability.gov
- Disabled American Veterans
- Elder Care
- Healthfinder
- Health in Aging
- Medicare.gov
- Medicare Rights
- National Alliance for Caregiving
- National Association for Home Care & Hospice
- National Disability Advocacy & Law Organizations
- National Dissemination Center
- National Institute on Aging
- National Family Caregivers Association
- National Organization on Disability
- National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Aging
- Right at Home
- The Savvy Senior
Skin and Wound Care:
- Nutrition Therapy for Wound Healing (short-term)
- Pressure Sores
- Preventative Skin Care
- Skin Care
- Skin Pressure Sores
- Skin Problems and Treatments
- Wound Care
- Wound Care Instructions
- Other Wound Resources
Special Issues:
- Aging Issues (National Library of Medicine)
- Being a Good Patient
- Caring for Loved Ones with Cancer
- Caring for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease
- Disabled Travelers
- Food, Nutrition...& Other Considerations
- Gastrostomy (feeding tube)
- Hip Fracture Prevention
- Nutrition and Exercise for the Aging
- Nutritition for Seniors
- Personal Care for a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease
- Seniors (FamilyDoctor.org)
- Senior Health (Medline Plus)
- Weight Loss in the Elderly (Nutrition 411)
Updated 1/30/14