Bournemouth University recently published a study where it was argued that the process of going into the hospital can be made much easier on patients if the staff simply act “human” toward patients. By bringing practitioners and researchers together to look at the things that make us feel human, this project strived to create a culture of compassion within their institution.
The study specifically focused on stroke recovery patients, and it was designed to ensure that people and their needs were at the heart of every decision that was made. Researchers were sure to include guidelines for providing humanized care, and came up with different methodologies for how those guidelines could be implemented practically. It required teamwork between researchers, staff members, and patients, but the conclusion was that when there is a focus placed upon the little things, patients feel less vulnerable and scared.
This speaks a lot toward how we can make the senior care process better for our elderly loved ones. The focus on caring above stresses the basics–people go into medicine or into another aspect of care in order to help people. The same should be true of caregivers, whether they are family caregivers or professionals. The people that you hire to help care for an older parent should be there because they love helping people, not because it is an easy way to make money or some other less desirable reason. Anecdotal evidence from the above mentioned study indicates that the stroke recovery ward changed its atmosphere completely. Patients and family members began to notice a feeling of reassurance and calm within that section of the hospital. While this a different setting than a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or even your own home, this feeling of warmth is something that you should be striving for when considering senior care for a loved one.
Kind, compassionate, loving care is why so many people choose to go with in-home care for a loved one. A caregiver that puts your parent’s needs first, providing warm companionship while doing so, and treating them like the person that they are is a hallmark of in-home care. However, you need to be sure that you don’t just go with any caregiver that you can find. Going through a larger service where employees have been thoroughly vetted with background checks can help eliminate the risk of getting a sub-standard caregiver and help ensure that you have the best caregiver possible for your mom or dad’s personality and specific set of needs.
Yes, caring for your mom or dad yourself might establish a higher amount of compassion, but this isn’t always the best way to go, especially if you have never received training in how to safely and effectively be a caregiver. Professional services provide training for their employees, including teaching them what to do if an emergency occurs. They also do not send caregivers out into the field until they are 100 percent confident that they have all of the skills necessary to be the best care provider that they can be.
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