Tips for Improving Your Care Efforts during Get Organized Month

Senior Care in Falls Church VA

January is Get Organized Month. As a family caregiver this can be a meaningful time to evaluate your care efforts, think about how you manage your daily tasks, and find ways to improve these efforts for your benefit and the benefit of all of those around you. Staying organized is crucial for getting your to-do list finished, staying efficient, and avoiding stress, anxiety, and other Senior-Care-in-Falls-Church-VAconsequences. This means that you are a better caregiver for your elderly parent, parent for your children, partner for your partner, and overall person for all those who rely on you daily, including yourself.

 

Use these tips to help you improve your care efforts during Get Organized Month:

  • Create a schedule. While it is not always possible to predict all needs or to know exactly what you need to do and when, having a basic schedule can help you to structure your days and ensure that your efforts are as effective and influential as possible. At the beginning of each month sit down with a large calendar and write out the things that you know that you need to do that month. This can include set events such as holidays, observances, birthdays, or anniversaries, as well as appointments such as doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, and meetings. It should also include basic tasks such as grocery shopping, housecleaning, and set-aside time with your partner, your children, and yourself.
  • Set up “care central” in your home. Misplacing a form from your parent’s doctor or not being able to remember the name of their medications when researching side effects can set your entire day on the wrong track. Setting up an area in your home where you store all of the information pertaining to your care journey helps prevent situations like this. Use this area to keep paperwork organized, take notes, and display your calendar so that you can stay on track.
  • Keep supplies on hand. When you are trying to handle the needs of various different people in your life, you need a lot of tools to help you. Keeping these supplies on hand and easily accessible keeps your day moving and helps to prevent the frustration of not being able to find something when you need it, or having to go back home. Pack “kits” for each of the types of tasks that you might need to handle so that you can easily bring then along with you. This can include a kit of snacks, water, and entertainment for waiting in the waiting room at the mechanic or other service, a kit of first aid supplies, snacks, water, extra clothing, and entertainment for long car trips, and a kit of notes, or a kit of snacks, water, your care notebook, and a pad and pencil for visits to your parent’s doctor.

 

Senior care can be a fantastic option when you are looking for ways to help your senior loved one live a healthier quality of life as they age in place. The highly personalized services of a senior home care services provider can help your parent to pursue healthier living through better lifestyle choices, maintaining a healthier, more balanced diet, staying more active, and even by providing reminders to keep them on track with their medications, treatments, and other guidelines from their doctor. This can help to improve their health and well-being throughout their later years, giving them a lifestyle that is happier, healthier, more independent, and more fulfilling. When it comes to helping you stay organized, senior care can be a valuable source of support and act as a “safety net” to ensure that you are able to get everything done without worrying that your parent is not getting the care that they need. This means that you can step back from some of your care efforts, focus more on others, and know that your parent is living the highest quality of life possible.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Falls Church, VA, call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. 703-273-8818

 

Michelle DeFilippis