Caregivers are wonderful people. Quite honestly, not enough can be said about the individual who devotes his/her time and energy to the comfort and safety of an elderly person. As we all know, those who are of advanced ages generally experience losses of strength and balance. Especially when the elderly require the assistance of mobility solutions such as wheelchairs and walkers, the need for caregivers is necessary.
Caregivers, it needs to be noted, require care themselves. After all, it’s no easy feat looking after an elderly person with mobility issues. It takes mental, emotional and physical strength to fulfil the position adequately. And let’s not forget that many caregivers are not in professional roles. Instead, they are family members – daughters, sons, nieces and nephews. Let’s not forget granddaughters, grandsons and friends, as well!
About one-third of Canadians are caregivers.
“According to a report from 2015, one out of every three working Canadians gave personal time to care for a disabled person – many of those seniors, and in most cases a relative of the caregiver,” informs ComfortLife.ca, “This number is almost certainly rising steadily. In 2012, the number was 3 in 10 (or 28%), according to Stats Canada. An ongoing increase in this ratio is likely, given the discrepancy between the aging population of baby boomers compared to diminishing numbers for younger demographics.”
As you can imagine, the list of caregiver responsibilities grows longer with the seriousness of the elderly individual’s health condition. For example, seniors who are unable to walk on their own will often need assistance with bathing, dressing and getting in and out of bed. The Alzheimer Society of Canada acknowledges how difficult it is for caregivers to look after those who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease.
Caregivers need to be mindful of their own health.
“Providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease takes a tremendous toll on the physical and emotional health of the primary caregiver, yet many caregivers often don’t recognize the warning signs, or deny its effects on their health,” they affirm on their site, “Many caregivers tend to set their own needs aside while caring for the person with Alzheimer’s disease and hope that if they don’t think about it, the stress might just go away.”
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we celebrate caregivers. As mentioned earlier, they make up some of the most amazing people in the world! They are individuals who many of us simply couldn’t live without. We’d like to remind caregivers never to neglect their own care. “You need to take care of yourself, too,” insists ComfortLife.ca, “Know when to say no, and to prioritize tasks and come up with simple strategies that reduce stress. Don’t put your own life on hold.”
We also want to reiterate our commitment to helping you select the ideal mobility solutions for your care recipients. Our solutions include scooters, wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and walkers just to name a few. For more information about the mobility solutions offered by Advantage Home Health Solutions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
