Caregiver Duties & Responsibilities You May Overlook

As a caregiver, you wear many hats–and some of them may be invisible to you. Some of your duties and responsibilities will probably become second nature as time goes on, but there are some that may not occur to you until they’re needed.

Taking a proactive stance can help you stay a step ahead of your family member’s health care needs and ensure that everything runs smoothly at home. Here are some caregiver duties and responsibilities you may overlook.

If your elderly loved one requires assistance with daily activities such as cleaning up after themselves or preparing meals, seek help from their doctor or healthcare provider regarding hiring outside help or getting them enrolled in adult daycare services.

If you’re taking care of an elderly adult who has problems with personal hygiene like bathing and dressing themselves, or they need help eating and preparing meals due to physical limitations, then it’s your duty to report them to their primary physician or healthcare provider so they can get proper medical attention right away . Be sure to check their doctor’s credentials and experience to make sure they’re qualified.

As a caregiver, it’s your duty to keep your loved one safe in the home by making modifications like handrails and slip-resistant flooring where needed and reporting all safety hazards like broken appliances or loose electrical outlets immediately . Be sure that you provide proper lighting in dark places so your loved one can move around more safely as well.

You speak for them when they’re not able to speak for themselves. This is huge! When you’re advocating, you keep yourself and others informed about your family member’s specific needs. For example, if they need medical equipment at home but insurance won’t cover it, remind doctors that they need it before leaving the office — or even go to their appointments with them. Your loved one counts on you to make sure nothing gets overlooked!

Being an advocate also means coordinating your family member’s care with other professionals who interact with him or her (e.g., social workers, therapists). That way, there isn’t any miscommunication about services or missed calls. If you’re having trouble coordinating everything, consider bringing in a professional like a geriatric care manager or an aging services coordinator.

It may seem that your family member is leading because they’re the one who’s sick/disabled, but you’re still really the captain of this team. If you don’t take charge of their care and make sure things get done, no one will. This can lead to things falling through the cracks and important tasks (such as doctor visits) getting overlooked.

Being a caregiver doesn’t mean micromanaging either. Being proactive and coming up with a schedule of tasks gives everyone involved more freedom while ensuring that everything gets done that needs to be done on time! Take it from someone who knows: try to be the “calm in the middle of the storm” and keep things on track while your family member receives treatment or care. Trust us: it takes a lot less stress and worry out of the whole situation!

If you cannot personally provide these kinds of services, don’t feel bad about it, but rather call on professional home care providers who can handle all kinds of tasks and responsibilities associated with caring for your sick loved one.

We at Thoughtful Care offer our services to help make sure all their needs are met and we’re happy to do it. Call us today!