TOPICS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER SY 2018-2019

CAREGIVING

1. Providing Care and Support to Elderly Persons

2. Providing Care and Support to People with Special Needs

3. Maintaining a Healthy and Safe Environment

4. Responding to Emergency

5. Administering Medication

Caregiving is the act of providing unpaid assistance and support to family members or acquaintances
who have physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Caring for others generally takes on three
forms: instrumental, emotional, and informational caring.

Though the role of caregiver can be thrust upon someone suddenly. It is important for caregivers to
take the time to analyze their caregiving responsibilities and understand potential resources that may be
available.

Gaining an understanding of the terminally ill loved one's diagnosis and symptoms.

CAREGIVER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CAN INCLUDE:

1. Assisting with personal care: bathing and grooming, dressing, toileting, and exercise

2. Basic food preparation: preparing meals, shopping, housekeeping, laundry, and

3. other errands

4. General health care: overseeing medication and

5. prescriptions usage, appointment reminders and

6. administering medicine

7. Mobility assistance: help with getting in and out

8. of a wheelchair, car or shower

9. Personal supervision: providing constant

10. companionship and general supervision

11. Transportation: driving to and from activities, running

12. errands, and help getting in and out of wheelchair-

13. accessible vehicle
 14. 7. Emotional support: being a stable companion and
15. supporter in all matters personal, health-related and
16. emotional

17. Care for the elderly: orienting or grounding someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia,
relaying information from a doctor to family members

18. Back-up care (or respite) services: providing other

19. caregivers a break

20. Home organization: help with organizing, packing or cleaning for a trip, or general house care
and cleaning

21. Health monitoring: following a care plan and

22. noticing any changes in the individual’s health,

23. recording and reporting any differences

PROVIDING CARE AND SUPPORT FOR ELDERLY PERSONS

The development tasks of old age relate more to the individual’s personal life than to the lives of
others. Elderly people are expected to adjust to decreasing strength and gradually failing health.

Meeting social and civic obligations is difficult for many older people as their health fails and as their
income is reduced by retirement. That is the reason why the are often forced to become socially
inactive.

With grown children being involved in their own family affairs, the elderly people cannot expect more
time with their companionship. This means that they establish affiliations with members of their own
age group if they are to avoid the loneliness that upsets the elderly people.

Some elderly people feel useless and unwanted, they develop feelings of inferiority and resentment-
feelings that are not conducive to good personal and social adjustments.

Respect the decision of the patient or elderly person to keep some of his/her personal conditions or
things private and confidential.
RIGHTS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE:

1. Right to be protected, and to safeguard his/her strength and weaknesses

2. Freedom to make decisions about his/her own life

3. Right to be given quality care

4. Right to be in a safe and healthy environment

5. Right to worship, according to his/her religious belief.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AGED PERSON

1. Changes in the Appearance – seen in the head, trunk and limbs region

2. Changes in sensory function – decline in the ability to see, hear, smell; marked changes in taste,
sense of touch become less as the skin become drier and harder; and decline in the sensitivity to
pain

3. Changes in Physiological functions – changes in the functioning of the organs, decrease

vascularity of the skin, reduced metabolic rate, and lessened muscular vigor

4. Decrease in mental alertness – mental decline accompany physical deterioration.

5. Changes in motor abilities – move more slowly, become awkward and clumsy, and decrease in
strength and energy

6. Decline in social activities – less active role in social and community affairs as well as in the
business and professional world

7. Role change – feeling useless and unwanted so they develop feelings of inferiority and
resentment

8. Changes in interest – decrease in personal interest, self and appearance, clothes and in money.

BASIC NEEDS OF AN AGED PERSON

1. To be in safe environment

2. To move and maintain a comfortable position

3. To keep his/her body clean and well-groomed and protect his/her skin

4. To select suitable clothing and dress and undress

5. To eat and drink adequately

6. To sleep and rest

 7. To maintain normal body temperature

1. To breathe normally

2. To eliminate regularly

3. To communicate with others and express emotions,

4. needs and fears

5. To work at something that provides a sense of

6. accomplishment

7. To play or participate in various forms of recreation

8. To learn, discover or satisfy the curiosity that is part of normal development and health

9. To worship according to his/her faith

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WITH THE ELDERLY’S PERSONAL CARE

Taking care of an elderly person requires accurate and intelligent decision-making skills for the
caregiver. One of the most important tasks as a caregiver is to attend to the elderly’s comfort. It is
important to analyze the extent of help needed by an elderly person to attend to his/her daily personal
routines.

Activities in which they may require assistance:

1. Assistance in washing and bathing

2. Shaving

3. Caring for the nails

4. Caring for the eyes

5. Caring for the mouth

6. Caring for the Hair

7. Choice of Clothing

8. Dressing and Undressing

9. Eating and Drinking

10. Comfort and Mobility

PROVIDING CARE AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Have you experience taking care of a person with special needs? If you had an experience caring a
non-disabled person, knowing what to expect from a person with special needs will give you confidence
that you can do it.

People with special needs refer to persons with disabilities. Some of these disabilities are:

1. Blindness Or Vision Impairment

2. Hearing Impairment

3. Speech Impairment

4. Mobility Impairment

5. Psychiatric Disability

6. Health Impairment

7. Specific Learning Disabilities

Establishing and Maintaining Appropriate Relationship with People with Special Needs

As a caregiver of a person with special needs, you will be face with challenges that you have
experienced before and it can be difficult to know where to start and what to do. An important
advice is to establish a ROUTINE, - is a daily performance of specific activities of a person done
in the same manner over time.

Routine is a powerful tool which can help foster bonds. Bonding is important because a
relationship based on trust and mutual respect will be a successful union, and the person will
feel secured and comfortable

The caregiver must know the person’s interest, strengths, and needs from interacting with
him/her everyday and seeing him/her in a variety of activities and recreations. Having a good
understanding of the disability, its possible impacts and available equipment and devices can be
very helpful. In spite of the disability, the person must learn how to socialize, just as speaking,
moving and thinking.
1. Talk with person with disability about different situations that may happen in day to day
interactions with others like how to start a conversation, how to meet new people, how to
request for a favor, how to answer and manage when encountering conflict or criticism and
when he/she is asked about his/her disability.

1. Encourage friendship, tell him/her the qualities that are necessary to have friends and how to be
a good friend to others.
2. Encourage the person to participate in various activities that interest him/her and fits his/her
disability. These activities will help in developing skills, confidence, and new relationships.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CAREGIVER (DISABILITY)

1. Records information of the person with disability both physical and emotional health.
2. Follows strictly the doctors order such as dosage and time of medication.
3. Practice proper basic principles of caregiving such as safety, sanitation and proper hygiene
4. Permits families and friends to participate in looking after the patient.
5. Recognizes and considers the patient’s comfort in his/her room.
6. Keeps the surroundings quiet and free from disruption specially when sleeping
7. Gives balance and nutritious food for the
patient
8. Is alert and has control in terms of
emergency
9. Always maintain the care, respect and
support toward the person with disability

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES OF PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

People with special needs must be treated appropriately for their individual differences,
rights, interest and decision-making. Every person is different depending on his/her disability.

1. It is important to remember that in communicating with a person who is blind, the disability
does not affect his/her ability or to hear. –converse to them in normal tone or touch them
lightly on the arm or address him/her by name; orient them in their own place; use
descriptive words instead of vague languages

2. There are people who cannot talk as a result of stroke. The hearing is not affected, but
cannot tell what he/she wants. Use speech therapy to talk again but this requires a lot of
patience on the part of caregiver. Picture, cards cut from magazines can be useful. If they
cannot express well she can point this picture for the things he/she needs.

3. The deaf patient’s inability to hear makes it hard for them to communicate. Deafness is
common among elderly because hearing fails gradually. Hearing aid can help, lip-reading
and non-verbal signs can be use. Always include the patient in your smiles and gestures
whenever possible.