It is not easy to see a loved one end up in bed permanently due to an illness or old age; however, it happens a lot, and many people have suddenly found themselves in the position of caregiver without having any training or idea of what this new role will demand from them.

Most definitely, in-home care is the best kind of care a bedridden person can have if it is undertaken with love and commitment. This doesn’t mean, of course, that it is an easy alternative.

Bedridden patients who are cared for at home have many needs and require constant attention, which together with the normal activities around a house and of its members, can sometimes get beyond overwhelming.

Here we give you 17 tips to help you balance your life if you have assumed the role of caregiver to a loved one:

1. Always make medical and personal decisions founded on a solid base of integrity so that you are not troubled by second guessing later.

2. Be real about what’s happening today. Don’t imagine things are worse, and enjoy the good parts. Do not let images of what could happen control your life.

3. Be honest with family and friends. Talk regularly and be direct about what’s happening.

4. Expect and be ready for difficult talks. Family and friends will digest the news of an illness at different times; so, at first some may not understand the tension you are going through.

You have to explain the illness, treatment, side effects, etc. to them thoroughly, and maybe even meet with the doctor so that he can address questions in an accurate way.

5. Learn the medical language. This will help your work as a caregiver. Search the web for trusted websites where you can find accurate information, but always confirm it with the doctor to avoid worrying needlessly.

6. Get every item that can help you ease the work. Bedridden patients who can’t move by themselves must be moved at least every two hours to avoid bedsores, and this is an exhausting task.

Get a low air loss mattress, which will turn the patient automatically at established hours and will allow you to rest at night and do other things during the day. Equally, get a bath kit, which is especially designed to simplify bathing a bedridden patient. There are many other in-home care items that will make yours and your loved one’s life easier and happier.

7. Learn to listen and be compassionate, because your loved one’s mood may change abruptly due to their condition, and you have to understand this is only temporary and you shouldn’t take it personally.

8. Control what you can. Get help with household chores, with yard work, cook meals in advance, organize your bills and paperwork so that you know what you are spending, and plan your work.

9. Stop trying to control what you have no control over. You can’t change the reality of your loved one’s illness, but you can trust there is a reason for everything… even for this.

10. Rest. Find a comfortable spot at home where you can relax on a comfy chair surrounded by a nice and clean environment.

11. Cook comfort food with love. It will soothe everyone’s soul, will provide nutrition for healing, and will put a smile on your loved one’s face.

12. Enjoy life. Find new interests that you can enjoy with your loved one at home: play games, watch movies, listen to music, paint, and simply enjoy simple pleasures.

13. Write a journal. This gives you a private space to let it all out.

14. Envision the future. Even in the face of illness, we can grow, so don’t stop making plans.

15. Give to others. Give as much as you will receive during these difficult times: a comforting word, a prayer, or a distracting conversation, can make a person’s day when they are feeling low. Giving will make you feel spiritually and emotionally full.

16. Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, rest, and learn to say no. Go out from time to time to get energized.

17. Do not expect to be perfect. Caregivers have their low moments, and this is more than understandable. Do the best you can and let go of the rest.

Being bedridden can get really boring, and if the condition is semi-permanent or for the rest of someone’s life, that person will experience serious lows in his or her mood while learning to live in this new state, where normal life interferes, where a low air loss mattress becomes their best friend, and where contact with people diminishes considerably.

In this sense, the best gift you can give someone you love, who happens to be bedridden, is your time and regular presence in his or her life.  When someone can’t move from a bed, the way to connect with the world and to avoid monotony is through the company of others; thus, schedule a weekly chess game, an hour to read, or just drop by with some magazines.

If you want to give your loved one a material gift, first answer these questions:

-What’s his or her health condition?  Some foods or gifts like massages could be harmful.
-How much can he or she move?  Do not give a journal to someone who can’t move his or her arms.
-What does he or she have access to?  Bring DVDs or games only if they have a way to use them.
-What does he or she like?
-What does he or she already have?

It is best if you ask your loved one if he or she would like the gift you are thinking of because when one has to spend every single hour of every single day in the same room, an unwanted or old gift may become a burden.

After answering the questions above, it will be easier to find a great gift for your loved one.  Here we give you some suggestions:

-Crafts and activities
Give him or her a book of origami, a book of puzzles, or logic and riddle books.

If your loved one likes to write, get him or her some stationery or a journal, and if they are unable to write, offer to write letters and emails for them.

Help him or her start a long distance education course.

-Electronics
Gift your loved one with access to a new world by giving him or her a laptop with Internet connection, a TV, a DVD player, or game console.  All these are great entertainment when you have to remain in bed permanently.

-Food
As long as the doctor allows it, food is always a great gift.  Bring him or her their favorite treat or food every once in a while.

-Entertainment
Books and DVDs are a must.  Offer to get your loved one any book they want to read, and even offer to read it to them, and schedule time to watch movies or TV series with them.  It gets much better when there’s the chance to socialize while reading or watching TV.

-Comfort
Details like a satin pillow, cotton nightgowns, or warm socks are very valuable and seldom considered.  A good massage is a gift that will be happily welcomed too.

The truly important thing about a gift for a bedridden person is the meaning behind it.  It is the knowledge that you haven’t forgotten the person, and that you still want to be a part of his or her life.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Pressure Mattress website as the original source).

Very often, elderly people end up sitting in a living room or lying down in bed permanently with little or no stimulation.

As they age, people lose the capacity to move freely.  It is common that they end up bedridden or on a wheelchair, dependant on a pressure mattress or on your help to move, and with very few activities that fuel their minds.

Here we offer you 5 ideas to stimulate your loved one’s mind while he or she ages, so that they can enjoy a better quality of life even if they have to remain in bed permanently:

1.An elder person’s room has to have decoration that stimulates the mind.  People who have to stay in bed for long periods of time end up depressed and looking at the ceiling if they are not offered opportunities to activate their minds.

Hang up beautiful and colorful posters with images that interest the person, and even attach them to the ceiling, but make sure they are well fixed to avoid accidents.

If the person has traveled a lot, choose images to remind him or her of past trips. If they like animals, hang up animal pictures. If they like movies, find old movie posters and make their room look like a cinema, or you may enlarge their favorite family and youth photos and hang them around the room to prompt your loved one to tell stories about his or her life.

Rotate the posters every once in a while to stimulate the mind even more and to make the room look different.

2.Put some shelves around the room within your loved one’s line of sight and place interesting items on them.  You can put photos, cards, and colorful objects.

Move or replace the items regularly to create interest, and find out if your loved one notices.

3.Put a basket near the bed or chair, in a place that is easily reachable, so that your bedridden loved one is able to grab the items in it without help.

You can put inside small photo albums, magazines, books, or puzzles.

4.Anything that is used in the room can help stimulate your loved one’s mind and prompt conversations.

Fill the room with flowers and plants so that your loved one is in contact with nature.  They can even do some gardening from their bed.

Play soft music constantly; classical music is great, and let them talk about the composer and the piece they are listening to.  Very often, music brings back fond memories.

5.Bedridden people must be in contact with others; they must talk about memories, family times, or about a specific object or poster in their bedroom.  Invite people they love to visit as often as possible to prompt interesting and happy conversations.

When interesting objects and lots of color are placed within a bedridden person’s eye level, you are giving him or her the gift of mind stimulation in addition to making their living space look beautiful, cozy, bright, and happy.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention http://www.volkner.com as the original source).