My friend celebrated her 80th birthday a few months back ( ahh yes, those occasions where some of us are reminded of the fact that we have fewer days ahead of us than behind us). That particular day, being a senior citizen myself I caught myself reminiscing about the good old years that we spent together as youngsters. I spent some time later that evening, jotting down the various things that came to my mind and then compared it to the image of the modern younger Indian woman. And this is what I discovered.
The modern Indian lady is bold, she is beautiful, independent, strong and wears many hats all at once. In addition to fulfilling certain responsibilities in the corporate world and being a wife and a mother in her own nuclear family, she has to (in many cases) fulfil the role of a caregiver in tending to the needs of the elderly who are staying with them. Like a skilled juggler she has to handle these multiple glass balls constantly, taking care that she doesn't drop even one of them lest cause irreparable damage and significant loss.
In our younger days however, we as women were in joint families and had the support of willing family members to help us handle the glass balls that we had to juggle. I remember my friend who was a go-getter in her time, waking up every single day before the rooster crowed. She was diligent and planned her daily family responsibilities well. Because she was the principal of our local high school, she had to ensure that she made breakfast for the entire family before she left for work each morning. However she wasn't alone and the women of the house all pitched in like a well-synchronised circus act to make sure that everyone was taken care. Even the aged then were healthier than those of us today, probably because they were forced into an active lifestyle thanks to the absence of modern living comforts (talking about mixers, grinders, pressure cookers here). My friend can no longer run around like she used to...for her to move from one place to another takes so much more time than it previously used to. I would like to term this a mobility challenge and this is something that many in our nation are facing. But mobility challenges result in time management inefficiencies and many nuclear families are going through a tough time because of this. But, there is a solution and a very simple one too. Yes we need to bring back additional hands to juggle the glass balls without breaking!
I feel that additional help in the home to oversee the needs of the elderly on a constant basis is the solution to the problem (especially in the case of seniors like my friend who are limited in their mobility and are unable to do things for themselves). And especially so if they are staying alone, with their children living and working in another city. Obviously the additional pair of hands that come on board must be responsible, trustworthy and dependable. My friend has an in-home care tender with her all the time and has found someone she can trust. In fact she can't keep quiet about her and there is a strong personal bond that has developed between them that senses and responds to unsaid needs as well.
If you are in the same age category as my friend or have aged parents that are elderly, but are still unclear as to what a big blessing caretenders are, I would like to share with you below the multiple benefits she has reaped.
Negative functional causes of aging: Capacity to function decreases with age. All organs tend to lose function with age . In other words, our bodies experience changes in the molecular structure which lead to functional changes. Because of which it is so difficult to get around doing normal everyday tasks like taking a shower, dressing or even bending down to pick something that has fallen on the floor. A caretender will understand all such needs and will help in this process by augmenting the declined functional capacity of the senior.
Encourage physical activity: The WHO recommends that the elderly should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week. Qualified caretenders are aware of these recommendations and can move older adults who are even in the category of ‘inactive’ to ‘minimum recommended levels of activity’ over a period of time through constant encouragement and motivation. Physical activity can also include activities such as walking, dancing or even gardening .
Assisted living: Post retirement, when the elderly find it difficult to cope up, there are bungalows and flats that are made available for retirement living, for senior citizens above the age of 60 years. Caretenders are made available to the senior citizens so that the elderly can live independently. In such cases the elderly get help with all their daily activities . This promotes a sense of well being and helps our seniors retire with dignity. Affordable independent living for seniors along with caretenders can help them move around in their own freedom and space.
Cooking and feeding: One of the very basic criteria to aging gracefully is to take nutritious food on time. And in many cases, meal preparations become very difficult when one gets old. Caretenders can help prepare nutritious food on time and also assist the elderly in feeding them their meals when need arises.
Urinary incontinence: Incontinence is defined as the loss of control of one’s urinary bladder, that may result in accidental leaking of urine. This is something that many elderly face and can cause them unnecessary embarrassment. Many caretenders across the globe assist with toileting and incontinence issues.
Many other areas that caretenders can help the elderly have briefly been summed up in the next few lines. Caretenders can also assist with:
Transitions : Just the basic movement of one place to another in the home itself can become very monotonous.
Showering
Paper work and finances
Lift up loads
Medication management for elders - how to store medicines complicated medicine regime
Facilitating relationships within the community.
Overcoming accidental falls which may result in chronic immobility that may cause rapid deterioration of health
Community and community living is very important for the wellness of an elder. Well connected elderly with a very well trained and empathetic caregiver can reduce the risk of the elderly dying from isolation, as research has proved that adults who are isolated die at higher rates And that sort of human emotional connection cannot be facilitated by automated services such as robots giving senior citizens medical and health care. It is the emotional connection between a caregiver and the elder that helps them stay connected with each other. The caretender can also facilitate relationships between the elderly and those visiting the elderly.
Even though the elderly experience an empty nest syndrome, one of the things that can be clearly seen in the elderly is that they would like to age in the comforts of their home. Staying at home, helps to create a sense of security and freedom. There is an air of familiarity that brings with it peace , security and comfort and no senior citizen should be robbed of elderly care in their own homes. A very vital component of caretenders is that the elderly feel safe and comfortable.
The United Nations reported that in 2019 there were 703 million persons over the age of 65 years globally, and these figures are estimated to double by 2050. This calls for us to rethink our care systems to facilitate better elderly care. That means caretenders must work closely with hospitals to reach out and help greater numbers of senior citizens within families and they have to be viewed as skilled care providers. This calls for a shift in the mindset of the society and will help the caregiving infrastructure to realize its full potential .
In conclusion, I trust that my friend’s experience has been helpful to you as you ponder and research the best options available for your loved ones. But from what I see in her life, I will emphatically say, “let's bring in those additional skilled hands to juggle these glass balls”.
Author: Team 60plus India
Keywords : Senior citizens, caretenders, assisted living, affordable independent living for seniors, in home care tender.
