How To Create A Senior Care Plan

Have you noticed your older relative struggling while living at home? For a senior to age in place successfully, you need to make sure their needs are met. Create a senior care plan to assess and plan how to meet your aging family member’s needs.

Assess the Current Caregiving Situation

Start their care plan by gathering information on their current situation and addressing any problems at hand. All aspects of your loved one’s daily life must be taken into account to create a reliable strategy for addressing concerns. Review the care recipient’s current:

• Home environment
• Proficiency in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs
• Health status
• Medical and legal documents
• Financial situation

This first step is useful in determining your loved one’s self-sufficiency at home, so you can decide how to proceed with their options for care.

Identify Care Needs and Set Goals for Care to Create an effective senior care plan

The next step centers around three questions:

• What is lacking in your older relative’s current routine?
• What objectives would they like to accomplish?
• What objectives would you like to help them accomplish?

Setting up common goals and getting both of your priorities in order can make your loved one’s aging-in-place experience go smoother.

Create a Comprehensive Care team

If a caregiver were to coordinate and perform all tasks on their own, they could face burnout. The purpose of creating a care team is to prevent potential problems that stem from care responsibilities being placed on one person. Setting up a care team encourages communication and cooperation from everyone willing to be involved in your relative’s care plan. Navigate how friends, family, neighbors, and other volunteers can assist your loved one’s daily needs.

Match Care Team Members with solutions

Consider potential risks your aging relative could face at home. Make a list that entails any issues that could occur at home such as taking the wrong medication, falling and not being able to get up, or sudden deterioration in an existing condition. Create a step-by-step response plan for each situation they could face and document it in the care plan. Make sure everyone involved (caregivers, family members) are aware of the response plans in cases of emergency.

Investigate Other Senior Resources

Any gaps present in the care plan after assigning responsibilities to your care team members should be fulfilled by professional services and senior care programs. Your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) can help you seek out suitable resources for your caregiving situation. It is not always realistic to solely depend on friends and family for care. Professional in-home care and respite care services may be essential to fill any substantial care needs.

Creating a care plan is a great first step to taking care of your loved one. Establishing a written plan helps you prioritize their needs and improve their overall quality of life. 1+1 Cares provides additional tips for making an elder care plan.

1+1 Cares is a referral agency that works for clients and caregivers. We match caregivers with clients and inform them of your requirements. We work for you so you and your loved one can have a safe, enjoyable caregiving experience. Get Care for your loved one!