Even if the willingness to care is present, many find themselves stuck at even the most common of daily activities like helping a senior to move about safely. - Pexels
When Ling used to care for his ageing father, he would often get frustrated in the course of the day.
“Ah, see! You said you didn’t need to use the bathroom, and now it’s all over the floor!” Ling recalls saying to his dad who was a stroke patient. It wasn’t out of anger, but frustration.
Even though his dad was able to return home from hospital soon after the stroke, the family was unprepared for the challenge of long-term care that would be needed. It was a challenge they had to face as a family.
Caring for a loved one is one of the greatest challenges families often need to face at some point or other. When caring for our loved ones, it is hard to remain completely objective. This can get in the way of effective care.
Yet, it is also our shared responsibility and honour to care for them, which can translate to the ultimate expression of filial piety.
However, even if the willingness to care is present, many find themselves stuck at even the most common of daily activities.
Caregiving is a skill that can be learned, and this article hopes to outline some of the fundamentals of nursing our loved ones back to better health.
Eating, enjoying food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Even in old age, when one can no longer care for oneself, eating remains an enjoyable activity.
Many elderly look forward to their daily meals. Some use mealtimes as a way to tell the time. However, as the body ages, eating can become a risky activity as it can lead to choking or coughing.
How can we, as family, friends, or caregivers, better assist the elderly with eating?
First, we need to understand the physiological reasons why the elderly are more prone to choking and coughing while eating.
Our throat contains a cartilage called the epiglottis. When we speak or breath, the epiglottis covers the oesophagus to allow air to flow into our lungs.
When eating or drinking, the epiglottis covers or “blocks” access to the trachea, allowing food and liquid to enter the oesophagus. As we age, the epiglottis becomes less responsive, making it easier for food and liquid to enter the trachea, causing choking, coughing, or even inflammation.
The solution lies in the feeding method and the nature of the food that is consumed.
When feeding the elderly, many of us insert the spoon directly into their mouth, then lift it out, causing the elderly to tilt their head back. We may think that this will help them swallow.
This is incorrect because tilting the head back helps with breathing, not swallowing, and can cause the epiglottis to wrongly block the oesophagus, leading to choking and coughing.
The correct way is to insert the spoon directly into the mouth and then remove it without lifting it.
When assisting with feeding, we must ensure that the elderly are sitting upright.
For bedridden individuals, adjust the bed to a sitting position or use pillows to help them sit up before feeding.
When it comes to food consistency, different elderly individuals have different dietary habits and needs (such as soft food). The most effective way to prevent choking and coughing is to thicken liquid foods, which can be easily done by adding a thickener (such as corn starch) to make it easier to swallow.
Our Malaysian elderly tend to be stubborn when it comes to using walking aids, even when moving has become difficult. Many refuse to use a wheelchair.
Friends and family may buy mobility aids like canes, crutches, or walkers to help the seniors move about but quite often, the equipment is a white elephant in the home.
But, how many of us have considered if our loved ones are resistent to using these aids becuase they don’t know the correct way to use them?
Providing a tool without the proper guidance on how to use it may hurt more than it helps.
Here are some simple principles on how to use them properly.
* Height of the cane: The correct cane height is when the elderly stand with their arms naturally at their sides, and the cane’s handle aligns with their wrist
* Walking with a cane: Ensure the older person holds the cane on the side of their stronger leg. With feet shoulder-width apart, place the cane on the stronger side, close to the body. Then, move the weaker leg and the cane forward simultaneously. Once the weaker leg moves forward, the stronger leg can step forward too. After the stronger leg is stable, move the weaker leg and the cane forward again, repeating the process.
Of course, simply reading texts and brief instructions is often not enough. Many caregiving techniques that significantly affect both the caregiver and the recipient require more in-depth learning.
For example, effectively assisting elders with toileting, transferring them from a wheelchair to a car, changing clothes for bedridden patients, or simply communicating with the elderly based on their different cognitive conditions. These skills can be learnt through comprehensive caregiving courses.
This article was contributed by The Malaysian Association for Social Care Professionals and Homes (MASOC CARE). For more information on courses on caregiving for seniors, go to https://www.masoc.care/kaigocaregivingcourses or contact 011-3301 9681.
