Veterans In Home Care
During the past several months you noticed a significant change in your father’s personality and demeanor. He is a veteran, having served in the Army, and while you have thought about the prospect of home care, you haven’t talked about it with him. For a while you were stopping by and supporting him, helping him prepare meals, go to the store, and take care of other basic needs.
Yet lately his temperament is causing you concern. He has become moody. You’ve talked about it with your brother or sister, spouse, or other family member or good friend. They may be dismissive and just say he’s getting older and you need to back off a bit.
In truth, an elderly individual’s tendency to become moody or change personality may be a sign they are getting frustrated, anxious, or even depressed. Somebody who is facing new challenges in taking care of themselves can certainly feel quite a bit frustrated, especially when relying on an adult child or other family member to stop by and help them out.
Another issue that could cause moodiness can be the family caregiver themselves. As a caregiver, the most important thing for you is to make sure your father is safe within the comfort of his own home. Maybe you discussed the prospect of home care already or have been afraid to even bring it up. Whatever the case may be, if you have been providing support for him, you may be falling into a similar pattern that millions of other family caregivers do, and that is to begin dictating what the senior can or can’t do.
You have his safety in mind when you begin discouraging him or even denying him the opportunity to pursue certain activities. After all, you see him struggling to get out of bed, walk down the stairs, and maybe even get dressed without proper support. Why in the world would you even consider letting him go to the park or work in the garden out in his backyard?
The reality is that seniors should have a good quality of life and be able to pursue certain interests and activities that are important to them. As long as it’s safe with the proper level of support, there’s no reason your father can’t do certain things you may believe are dangerous.
Consider the prospect of a professional caregiver to help out. Somebody with experience may be able to encourage him to be more active and that could change his mood for the better.
For more information and to learn about veterans in home care, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
