Taking care of an older person can be emotionally rewarding. Caregivers must put in a lot of hard work and help the senior with personal hygiene, dressing, food preparation, moving around, traveling, cleaning, and other tasks. However, one finds joy while doing so. That said, individuals must be careful when providing elderly home care and help services. The seven mistakes listed here can sour the experience for oneself and the senior citizen.

Treating senior citizens like children
Older adults are generally warm and fuzzy. Their willingness to speak to caregivers gives them a friendly and childlike aura. However, that does not mean one must treat them like children. Some caregivers take full responsibility for even the tiny tasks that the senior might be able to do without help. In the process, they reduce their feeling of independence, which can be a big mistake. Some seniors may be okay with this, but most will find it overbearing.

Ideally, one must encourage seniors to make as many choices independently as possible. For example, one should let them pick the clothes they want to wear and the food they want to relish. There’s no harm if they make their own decisions as long as they are safe and healthy. Of course, caregivers should intervene now and then. However, offering seniors as much choice and independence as possible is essential to making them feel liberated and happy.

Not resting well
Caregivers are human, too! Although they may be qualified for the job and have a lot of experience and skills, they can get physically and emotionally exhausted. So, one must rest well and avoid overworking. An individual can take short breaks or time off to relax and come back refreshed. It could be a vacation once every two or three months, spending the weekend with loved ones, or taking breaks in any other way the caregiver feels fit.

While the individual is away, they can ask another caregiver to replace them and look after the needs of the senior citizen receiving home care. This way, seniors get the help they need while caregivers enjoy some time for themselves. A good break refreshes the mind and makes the somewhat challenging job of elderly care much more rewarding.

Using a one-size-fits-all approach
Every senior citizen is unique and has their own needs and requirements. For example, one may have a different temperament, way of speaking, level of cooperation with their caregiver, and overall emotional quotient than another. Therefore, caregivers must be careful not to deal with every senior citizen in the same way. The strategies one used for their previous client may not work for the next one.

Caregivers must be open-minded to avoid problems during the job and ensure everything flows smoothly. They should be willing to learn new things and customize their approach to home care for the elderly accordingly. For example, a particular senior citizen may dislike the idea of someone talking to them while they eat, while someone else may want conversations while dining. Therefore, the capacity to learn on the job and adapt in real time are two highly sought-after traits all caregivers need to possess.

Trying to handle everything
There’s a reason why many home care services have caregivers working in rotating shifts. Trying to handle everything can be super challenging. What’s worse, caregivers who do this will likely become jaded and tired quickly and struggle to keep up the quality of care they give senior citizens. When the quality of care dips, that is unacceptable! Those providing elderly home care and help services for seniors must be at their best and allocate tasks to others if needed.

Forgetting the older person’s needs
Not remembering every senior’s need—as if it were second nature—is a big mistake. As mentioned, every person has unique needs. For example, a senior citizen may need certain exercises at specific times during the day. Forgetting these exercises and not facilitating them in time can undermine the senior’s health.

Sometimes, the things to remember may not be medical-related. For instance, an older individual may feel their day is incomplete without certain conversations or snacks during specific hours. Sure, this may seem like a small thing, but it matters to them. Not remembering and following through with such tasks somewhat reduces the quality of elderly care.

Not being hands-on with medical care
There are many non-negotiables when it comes to elderly care. One such non-negotiable is being hands-on about all things medical-related. Caregivers must know every treatment they need to give the senior after or before certain meals, the tests to be done after specific intervals, and every visit to a healthcare facility.

Mishandling health-related matters can have serious health consequences for senior citizens. The last thing a caregiver wants to be responsible for is the older individual’s deteriorating health due to a lapse in concentration or not doing things on time.

Not planning ahead
Elderly care tests a caregiver’s resolve and strategy-making abilities. Many things can go wrong while looking after the senior citizen. Therefore, one must make a plan while considering all the hurdles that can come up. Caregivers must plan how to handle everything at least a night before and leave nothing for the last minute.