Taking care of a highly dependent elderly patient is not a simple task. Most of the time family members of the patient will get the help of a medical professional who can be devoted to their care on a daily basis but sometimes this may not be an option. In such cases, you will need to look after the patient yourself with little guidance and instruction. It can be very challenging and also demanding both physically and mentally but it is possible and with time once you know what you can do to help them it will also become easier. Here are some of the things that you need to pay attention to in order to take care of a highly dependent elderly patient.

The first step is for you to successfully identify the health issues and challenges that they have. If they have any special requirements such as incontinence issues, you will need to tend to them as required. You will need to have all the right gear and the tools to handle such a situation without making it awkward for the patient or trying for you. There are many related products on the market today that can help in such sensitive situations so that the patient to does not feel embarrassed by their condition.

Patients who are in bad shape cannot afford to miss their medication. Especially dependent elderly patients will have serious altercations if they miss their dose of medication for say, heart disease, memory issues, Parkinson’s and other nervous issues or blood pressure and diabetes. In addition to this, there are a whole host of conditions where you really need to keep tabs on how much medication is to be given each day, the times at which they should be administered and the dosing. You should also follow directions given by the doctor to the letter such as take the medications before or after meals, avoiding specific food items and drinks and what medications may have interactions and the likes.

Proper nourishment is key to the proper caretaking and recovery of such patients. If they do not eat well their body will weaken even more and will let them down. Therefore, even if they refuse to eat much you must make sure that they are eating something balanced and filled with nutrients at least. They may not be able to eat a lot in one go so administer small portions of food as needed and advised by the doctor through the day and do not let them starve themselves. If they are unable to eat really severely the doctor would likely also prescribe multivitamins and the likes so that they can maintain their nutrient levels properly and not be malnourished.

There may be times when it gets really frustrating especially because these patients can be stubborn. You need to understand however that they are in a really sensitive position and not take anything personally. If you need support to ask for it from other family members and support groups but never do anything that can demean and insult the patient.