Issues and Challenges

Advice

1. Helping with self-care, mobility, supervision, and household chores. Nearly all carers assist older people who require care with household duties like shopping, laundry, housework, food, transportation, bills, money management, and home upkeep. If the older person needs support due to health or functional limitations, these duties are frequently carried out.

2. Supporting People Emotionally and Socially When older people first require caregiving due to growing frailty or the development of severe disease, they require emotional and social supports that are distinct from the normal interactions among family members. The proportion of reciprocity between the caregiver and care recipient has changed, which is a significant development. Despite attempts to maintain some reciprocity, the care recipient may be able to contribute less to the relationship as their needs increase.

3. Healthcare Provider: The caregiving roles in the area of health and medical care is getting more and more complicated. In the past, medications were simply given. These days, prescription drugs for home use can also be administered intravenously, topically, or by patches and injections. When the care recipient is critically ill or severely disabled, the caregiver may additionally be managing technical procedures and equipment, such as catheters, tracheostomies, and feeding and drainage tubes, in addition to treating symptoms and keeping an eye on the care recipient's status

4. Advocate and coordinate care. Family caregivers frequently act as coordinators of care and advocates. In their capacity as advocates, they should help care recipients locate the community and healthcare resources they require. Identifying the care recipient's eligibility for particular services and the associated costs may be necessary. The older person and the caregiver frequently come across confusing and fragmented care systems that involve a variety of organizations, including health care providers, governmental and private sector community-based groups, employers, and numerous possible payers.

5. Making decisions and surrogacy: Decision-making for and, in some cases, with care recipients is frequently done by caregivers. The level of caregiver participation varies, though. The directive, participative, supporting or guiding, advising, advocacy, and trying to hold back and let the older adult decide are some examples of decision-making roles.