Intro to Practical (sometimes daily) Skills

 

Practical Skills are the skills you will use every day while caring for your loved one. They may seem like daily duties because some of them will become regular duties. Skills will be needed in personal care, mobility and companionship,  running your loved one’s household, medical management, record keeping, advocacy, and crisis management.

Skills you may need to brush up on are: communication, advocacy, compassion, empathy, and dedication to the well-being of others.

Personal Care

You may be needed to help a loved one with basic ADLs-( activities typically done every day). You may not need to do all of them. You may do just the tasks your loved one now needs help with. It could be grooming, dressing, toileting, bathing, even cooking and feeding.

Medical Management

There will be a number of medication tasks that will be up to you to take care of. Expect to deal with schedules, prescription renewals, portions, what specific medications are for, or even what their side effects can be.

You may need to monitor certain vital signs daily. Over time you will accumulate the tools you need to do that. Four basic items you will need, often include: a stethoscope, an oxygen reader, a blood pressure cuff, and a thermometer.

If your loved one is a diabetic you may need to administer lancet shots and check blood sugar. You might learn how to handle blood sugar too low or too high. You might learn how to raise low blood sugar with regular items that should be around the house.

If your loved one has mobility issues you may be responsible for moving around in the home, and all transport outside the home.

Almost all of these things will be part of your daily routine. Depending on the health of your loved one you also might give daily shots, breathing treatments etc. You might also have to assist with daily exercises. In some situations you might need to step into the realm of cognitive support. Medical professionals may have you work with your loved one to improve cognitive functions.

Memory issues happen a lot. You may need to learn how to handle lapses in speech-frustration. You could also play hunt the keys-Glasses etc. Hunting for things may take up a significant portion of your time.

You will end up learning about whatever may be part of your loved one's treatment plan. It will be up to you to help your loved one stay as independent as possible for as long as possible.

Household Management

Your loved one's household will become your household. You will end up managing a good portion of typical household jobs: cooking, cleaning, laundry, finances, groceries, online shopping, and research.

You may be doing meal prep or even all the cooking. This is an area you may wish to delegate to others, if expenses will allow for it, or if other family members take it on.Daily Mobility

If your loved one has mobility issues you may be responsible for moving around in the home, and all transport outside the home.

Record Keeping

As the primary caregiver, you need to keep track of nearly everything going on in the life of your loved one. You will probably work with medical and health professionals to create your loved one’s treatment plans. You will be the one who sets up the family emergency plans.

You will be recording vital signs. You will be keeping track of all medication information. And you need to record the physical, mental, and emotional status of your loved one. It is important to recognize when your loved one is in pain, distress, anger, frustration, even depression. Recording this information may help you do that.

Communication and Advocacy

One of the largest roles you will play is that of Advocate. You are the voice who amplifies the needs of your loved one. You may face problems within the healthcare system, problems getting you and your loved one the health, governmental, or legal support your loved one is entitled to or qualifies for.

You and your loved one should always try to make sure you are on the same page. Communication and collaboration are necessary to build a relationship based on trust.

Communicate, listen, treat your loved one with respect and dignity. Your loved one deserves that. Ask questions and raise concerns over issues you may have noticed.

If there are pets in the house you may need to learn about wound care. Your loved one could be taking medications that cause blood thinning. Find out whether your loved one bleeds a lot if getting a cut or scrape. It sounds small, but it can turn into a huge issue.

You will become responsible for coordinating all of your loved one's medical care You will deal with an entire host of healthcare professionals, so you need to communicate clearly. You need to advocate for your loved one.

When dealing with health professionals and everyone else it is up to you to make sure your loved one gets the best treatment possible. If you see any kind of possible discrimination, don't stay silent. Call it out.

Question the treatment plans and make sure everyone is on the same page. Make sure that your loved one understands what is going on and is in on the conversation. Make sure your loved ones are treated with respect and dignity.

Crisis Management

You need to be a total badass boss when it comes to Crisis Management. In a time of emergency do your best to keep calm. By the time you experience your first emergency you would have already set up Medical and Social plans of action.

You may call a nurse first or you may end up calling 911. Stay as calm as possible. 911 operators will walk you thru questions they need answers to.

They will tell you what you might need to do while you wait for emergency responders to arrive.

Know where information cards are located. Have a medicine list ready. Know about the operations your loved one has had in the past. If your loved one is taken to a hospital emergency room, take the time to make sure you have everything the two of you might need for a hospital stay.

You might pack up your electronics, blankets, a change of clothes, favorite snacks, your wallet, and some cash if you have it on hand. Hospitals keep room temperatures a little on the cold side. You might want to plan for that.

Be aware of your loved one's wishes when it comes to emergency medical care. Use your advocacy skills because you are going to need them. You will be using high level communication skills.

Staying with your loved one 24/7 is a personal choice. But when a medical emergency occurs, your loved one may spend their energies focused on the pain, or drugged up. While they may seem like they are cognizant of what is going on around them, they rarely remember anything that is going on.

Doctors in some hospitals make their rounds early in the morning. Typically a patient is asleep. The doctor may wake the patient up then hold an entire conversation with them, fully believing that the patient knows and understands what was said. But if you go see your loved one and asked what the doctors had to say, they remember very little.

As caregiver, you want to try to be with them for as long as possible each day. You will need to communicate with doctors, nurses, and others. Then listen to what they say is going on. Make sure you ask questions. You want to make sure you understand exactly what is going on, while making sure that your loved one is treated with dignity and respect.

You will always have to be learning. You need to keep up with your loved one's medical conditions, their medications and the side effects of those medications, and the possible treatment plans currently available. Ongoing education is a must. With AI technology, things are changing rapidly, and it may help you keep up with what’s going on as it pertains to the needs of your loved one.