Caring for the Elderly Adventure

Caring for the elderly is an adventure that more and more people are embarking on as their parents or another loved one requires their help.  Caring for the elderly can be a slow and easy event that a caregiver grows accustomed to over the years, or it may be an event that occurs quickly due to a health crisis.

In my case, my role of caring for the elderly has grown slowly over the last ten years.   My husband and I always knew we would help to care for my handicapped sister, so ten years ago we built a duplex that we share with my parents, sister and sons.  This has allowed us to live close by to help her, but it has also allowed taking on the role of caring for the elderly as my parents have gotten on in years.

Whether long time or sudden, there are definitely tips and tricks that others have shared that can offer guidance along the way for caring for the elderly.  Like any other adventure, a map, knowledge of your trip and the proper equipment will help you on your caring for the elderly journey.

Of course individuals have been caring for the elderly since the beginning of time, so there is definitely a well-worn path full of resources to follow that make the journey easier.  For me, this adventure of caring for the elderly involved new territory and it frightened me at first. When we first built our duplex, my parents were in their 70′s and were both in pretty good health, until it was discovered that my Mom had colon cancer.  After surgery and a long hospital stay, she returned home and my caring for the elderly adventure began.

At first I felt like I as traveling down a dark, dangerous, caring for the elderly highway.  I didn’t know much about colon cancer, but I quickly learned.  I read about the disease, spoke to medical professionals who specialized in caring for the elderly and I found out how it would be treated. The nurses taught me how to care for Mom’s incision and what to expect as she recovered.  As this happened, what first felt like a dark, dangerous caring for the elderly highway, began to lighten up and evolved into an adventure of caring for the elderly.
Ten years later, I see that it has not only been an adventure that involves caring for the elderly, but it has been an adventure in growth, life long learning and a continuation of family love that has made the continuing trip priceless.

I hope that you will share your caring for the elderly adventures as well.

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