Mother’s day is a great occasion for the family to get together and thank our Moms for the love they have selflessly showered us with since day one. But often, many of our loved ones may be warded in various institutions, like community hospitals or nursing homes, making it difficult for the entire family to come together to celebrate this special day.
That being said, mobility or illnesses should not prevent you from being with your loved ones. By taking the necessary precautions and with the right care plan, you can safely bring/transit your loved ones from these institutions to the comfort of your own home. Here are 5 steps on how you can do it!
1. Obtain Care Instructions
Ensuring you have adequate care knowledge is pivotal in bringing your loved ones home. Here are some things to note about care instructions!
i. How to assist your loved one in mobility, toileting and grooming, etc.
ii. Signs of Health Deterioration
iii. Follow-up actions such as who to contact and where/when to seek help.
However, if you feel that your loved one’s condition is too tough for you to handle, engage a home service provider to ensure you do not miss out any care detail and have a point of contact if anything should happen.
2. Learn Relevant Nursing Skills
You need transferring techniques when your loved one need help with mobility. There are other specialised skills that you should know about if your loved one requires it. For example, if your loved one has a nasogastric tube, learn about nasogastric tube care; learn how to maintain the stoma bag if your loved one has one.
If you do not have time to learn them, you can always engage a private nurse to do it instead. You can learn these skills right at home with appropriate caregiver training!
3. Know the Medications!
i. Medication supply
Make sure you have enough supply for the duration of the home leave!
ii. Medication Route
There are several ways to administer medications. You have to make sure you do not get confused. Learn to differentiate which ones are edible and which are the ones to give rectally (oops!). There are also different ways one can consume their medication, for example, know if you can crush it, chew it or to let it melt in the mouth.
iii. Medication Time
There are also trickier instructions to take note like before or after meals. Tip: Set up alarms on your smartphone and label the alarm with the medication name so that you won’t miss out any meds.
4. Get Resources
Does your loved one need a wheelchair or walking frame to move about at home? Or do they need adult diapers? Be sure to prepare them before they get back home.
Tip: Have your family pitch in to care for your loved one. Disperse the caregiving responsibilities! You should be enjoying the reunion.
5. Arrange for Transport
Now that you know the care needs for your loved ones, you just have to arrange for a transport home! If your loved one requires more space, help and equipment, consider getting a private ambulance. Here are some contacts:
Lentor Ambulance: 6100 1777
Angel Ambulance: 8338 2526
However, if your loved one can walk with little or no assistance, you can always take a cab, Uber or Grab back from the institution.
These are the 5 basic steps for homecare this Mother’s Day. Sounds a little too complicated? It may be tough, but it is going to be a meaningful endeavour. Let us assist you with this complicated coordination work while you concentrate on spending quality time with your loved one!
Award winning Home Care trusted by health professionals – Jaga-Me
