Caring for Our Elderly
Caring for Our Elderly
Caring for Our Elderly
It is estimated that the number of Americans over the age of sixty five years old will multiply times four in the next thirty years. With this being said many of us will be faced with providing care for our loved ones ("Elderly Caregiving," n.d.).
The current research studies completed in geriatric studies indicate that currently family members are providing approximately eighty two percent of the care for their elderly family member. Generally there is one family member providing the care for the elderly person and that person is either the elderly persons spouse or child, or sometimes the caregiver could be an extended family member or a friend ("Elderly Caregiving," n.d.).
Meeting the Need of the Elderly
The elderly population has a number of things to consider when providing care for them in order to safely and effectively meet their various needs and requirements. It is very important for persons who will be caring for our elderly to be aware of these needs ("Needs of the Elderly," 2013).
The following needs should be addressed:
▪ Financial needs of the elderly must be identified if they will be living alone to ensure that they have the financial resources for things such as groceries, utilities and medicines.
▪ Housing situation must be considered. Elderly persons need to be in an environment that is familiar to them. If at all possible and safe the elderly person’s home can be modified as needed to enable them to stay in their own home.
▪ Health care is one of the most important issues needed for our elderly, ensuring that they have access to regular medical check- ups can help to alleviate health issues that can cause the elderly serious harm, while also identifying any health problem in its early stages to obtain treatment as soon as possible. They may need assistance from an outside nursing agency if their mobility has been comprised due to aging. This service could provide them with assistance in
Caring for Our Elderly
It is estimated that the number of Americans over the age of sixty five years old will multiply times four in the next thirty years. With this being said many of us will be faced with providing care for our loved ones ("Elderly Caregiving," n.d.).
The current research studies completed in geriatric studies indicate that currently family members are providing approximately eighty two percent of the care for their elderly family member. Generally there is one family member providing the care for the elderly person and that person is either the elderly persons spouse or child, or sometimes the caregiver could be an extended family member or a friend ("Elderly Caregiving," n.d.).
Meeting the Need of the Elderly
The elderly population has a number of things to consider when providing care for them in order to safely and effectively meet their various needs and requirements. It is very important for persons who will be caring for our elderly to be aware of these needs ("Needs of the Elderly," 2013).
The following needs should be addressed:
▪ Financial needs of the elderly must be identified if they will be living alone to ensure that they have the financial resources for things such as groceries, utilities and medicines.
▪ Housing situation must be considered. Elderly persons need to be in an environment that is familiar to them. If at all possible and safe the elderly person’s home can be modified as needed to enable them to stay in their own home.
▪ Health care is one of the most important issues needed for our elderly, ensuring that they have access to regular medical check- ups can help to alleviate health issues that can cause the elderly serious harm, while also identifying any health problem in its early stages to obtain treatment as soon as possible. They may need assistance from an outside nursing agency if their mobility has been comprised due to aging. This service could provide them with assistance in
References: Delia, D. (2006). Caring for the New Uninsured: Hospital Charity Care for Older People without Coverage. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 54(12), 1933-1936. Elderly Caregiving: Choices, Challenges, and Resources for the Family. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/elderly-caregiving-choices-challenges-and-resources-for-the-family/ Horton, S., & Johnson, R. (2010). Improving Access to Health Care for Uninsured Elderly Patients. Public Health Nursing, 27(4), 362-370. Needs of the Elderly. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/needs-of-the-elderly.html Speros, C. (2009, September 30). More than Words: Promoting Health Literacy in Older Adults. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.vol4N003Man05