Caring for a vulnerable elder can be rewarding as well as frustrating. It can increase our self-esteem to know that we are helping someone in need, but it can also burden us as we grapple with difficult care decisions and the fact that we aren’t perfect caregivers. (Hint: No one is.)
Caregiving requires continual learning and adjustments, and no two situations are identical. But, becoming as organized as possible and making a consistent effort to stay that way can help you relieve caregiver stress and use your time and energy more efficiently. It might seem overwhelming to maintain order in such a hectic situation, but a reasonably small amount of effort applied regularly will prove to be far easier than frantically trying to handle everyday mishaps and larger emergencies.
Each person’s organization process is unique as well. What is orderly for one person may be considered a baffling mess in someone else’s eyes. The important thing is to understand what your personal organizational style is and then stick to it. Forcing strategies that do not mesh with your personality, schedule or lifestyle are not likely to be effective over the long term.
Below are some tips that I have used that may help you with caregiver organization. Try them out and use them as inspiration to help you find techniques that fit into your unique situation.
Caregiver Organization Tips for Everyday Life
Most of us have daily/weekly/monthly routines we carry out with and for our loved ones. Regularly evaluating and updating these routines can have a huge impact on the amount of time and effort you spend on everything from the most important to the most mundane tasks. Consider some of the following organizational improvements:
Create a System for Medication Management
Most caregivers and seniors use some type of medication organizer or pill box that sorts pills by days of the week and/or times of day. This is straightforward as long as you are able to concentrate fully when filling the box. However, what I found most difficult while caregiving was synchronizing the timing of the insurance company authorizations, the pharmacy refill dates, my loved one’s need for certain medications and, of course, my own busy schedule. Ideally, you should be able to obtain at least a week’s worth of medication in advance for most prescriptions. This reserve is useful in cases of illness, inclement weather or some other issue that may unexpectedly keep you from picking up refills.
If a senior takes several medications, it can be challenging to keep the timing straight and integrate it into your schedule. I prefer a simple calendar for this task, but there are electronic calendars, smart phone applications and other reminders available that can help you track pick-up dates and times. Some states even allow doctors, pharmacies and insurance companies to work with patients to simplify and consolidate refill times so that all prescriptions can be picked up on a single day each month. This is called medication synchronization (med sync) and it can save time and prevent headaches for many caregivers. Ask your loved one’s pharmacist if this is an option.
Find Elder Care Products to Simplify Daily Activities
Small but useful adaptations can help make days more enjoyable for both caregivers and their care recipients. For example, a friend of mine took note of the plate covers that hospitals use to keep meals warm while they’re being delivered to patients and asked where he could purchase one. He ended up getting samples from the hospital and a manufacturer of these items. While this may seem like a small concern, being able to keep food warm for a senior who eats slowly is a very nice perk.
As a blogger on elder care, I receive messages about new products for seniors nearly every day. One of the best I’ve seen is a two-handled mug for elders with poor dexterity that offers greater control and independence while drinking and minimizes the likelihood of spills. Keeping your eyes open for gadgets and newly developed products can make a big difference in how you and your loved one approach activities of daily living (ADLs).
Think of some recurring issues or annoyances that you encounter in your caregiving routine and search the internet to see if you can find some simple solutions. Special products and do-it-yourself hacks for elder care can be rewarding and possibly minimize the time and effort you spend on certain daily tasks (like reheating food multiple times and cleaning up spills). You can browse a large selection of caregiver-recommended senior care products here.
Prepare for Emergencies
This may mean keeping snow cleared from your driveway and having warm clothes handy for you and your loved one. It could also mean keeping a bag packed with supplies and instructions for a back-up caregiver in case you get sick or caught up at work. Think about your loved one’s needs and plan for emergencies and mishaps that you or your loved one may be prone to as well as any environmental factors that are common in your area. More on this in a moment.
Keep a Health Journal of Your Care Receiver’s Needs
This shouldn’t take a lot of time if you make entries daily, and it could save you time in an emergency. It could also make it far easier to transfer your caregiving duties to someone else should you suddenly be unable or unavailable to provide care. Furthermore, keeping a detailed record of your loved one’s evolving needs and symptoms can be incredibly useful for answering questions accurately during doctor’s appointments.
Keep a Personal Journal for Yourself
Journaling can relieve frustration, organize your thoughts and help you set and track goals and aspirations in caregiving and in your own life. You may want to treat yourself to a handsome notebook of some kind. It needn’t be expensive, but it should be something nice that will encourage you to write. You could even dedicate a folder on your computer to this if you prefer typing instead of writing by hand. Journaling is one way to take inventory of your emotional and physical health, and it can help you decide if you are approaching or have passed the point of caregiver burnout. Even if you feel you can’t be honest with anyone else, it is still crucial to be honest with yourself about your limitations.
Maintain a Dedicated Calendar
Using a separate calendar for keeping track of appointments, entertainment, respite care and other engagements concerning your loved one can be very helpful. Some people may find this method of using more than one reference point cumbersome, but it’s all about what works best for you.
If you happen to be tech-savvy, electronic calendar apps are available that allow you to create entries for separate entities (for example work and personal appointments) but more easily visualize how they overlap. This same approach is very useful for keeping your tasks and engagements separate from those of your loved one, yet they’re still integrated and accessible. Another benefit of going digital is the ability to share appointment information and availability with other care team members.
Reduce Clutter in Your Life
Yes, I know that seems impossible when your mailbox is stuffed with bills and medical paperwork and the common areas of your house are now cluttered with mobility aids, special cushions, pill bottles, tissues and other supplies that your loved one needs. However, implementing some type of caregiver organization early on can save frustration in the event of an emergency, during tax time or simply when walking through the living room. You don’t need a sophisticated system or a pristine living area—just find a balance that makes sense to you. This may be a big undertaking at first if you haven’t picked up in a while. But if you stick with it, you may find that a little bit of clean up each day goes a long way. Sometimes decluttering your physical space can help relieve stress and declutter your mind, too.
Anticipate Your Loved One’s Future Needs
Unfortunately, in elder care, a care receiver isn’t likely to get better. Therefore, it’s beneficial for the entire care team to learn about the care recipient’s medical condition(s), find medical and moral support online or in the community, and research local respite and long-term care options (even if you never intend to use them). Knowing how your loved one’s health may be affected in the future, the amount of care they might need and the care resources available in your community is essential. This knowledge will help you avoid surprises and be prepared for whatever caregiving curveballs are thrown your way.
Find a Way to Do Things You Enjoy
You may be homebound with your elder or you may go out to help them in their own home or senior living community. Either way, you should be able to listen to music you enjoy, read a book, exercise or spend time on the computer with a support group at a minimum. You also deserve to see friends and enjoy some “me time” on a regular basis.
I’m aware that this sounds idealistic to many, but regular self-care is a must to preserve your ability to provide care for others. Getting organized and using your resources more efficiently should free up even a small amount of time here and there. Use it to pamper yourself. Part of preparing for the future is taking the time to prevent caregiver burnout and promote your physical and mental well-being.
Caregiver Organization Tips for Emergencies
Caregiving emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. Being organized and prepared can help you tackle small blips and take even the most unexpected accidents in stride. The following steps will ensure you are ready for whatever may lie ahead.
Set up Back-Up Care
You may or may not have anyone who can relieve you of your caregiving duties on a regular basis, but you definitely need to have a plan b in place for emergencies. Caregivers often develop their own health issues, and, as much as we try to make caregiving a top priority, other aspects of life can easily get in the way.
An effective back-up care plan consists of someone who lives nearby and is willing and able to lend a hand when the unexpected happens. Out-of-state family can be useful resources in some instances, but in an emergency, you need someone who can show up and dive in with little to no notice. If your local friends and family are limited, you may need to ask a neighbor if they’d be able to help out in a pinch.
It may also behoove you to complete paperwork ahead of time with an in-home care company and use their services a few times each month to stay on their radar. This will improve the likelihood that you have coverage in a pinch and give you peace of mind knowing that they belong to a company you trust. Scrambling to ask or hire someone to care for your loved one at the last minute is hardly ideal. Make a list of all available sources of back-up and keep it handy.
Prepare for the Most Likely Emergencies
Does your loved one fall frequently? Do you suffer from migraines? It’s impossible to anticipate every possibility, so focus on preparing for the ones that are most likely to occur. Prevention is the best option, but you must also have a plan of action ready if you need to shift your undivided attention to another family member in need or if you wind up being the one needing help. If any of these scenarios have happened before, then you will have a better idea of what preparations must be made. Otherwise, do your best to think through the hypothetical situations step by step and do what you can in advance.
Create an Emergency Folder
This folder will be your go-to resource when something goes awry with your loved one. You’ll want to include a current list of medications, identification and insurance information, contact information for physicians and pharmacies, a copy of their medical power of attorney (POA) document, copies of advance directives, etc. In fact, it doesn’t hurt to make a folder for yourself and other family members as well. Far too many caregivers make the mistake of believing they have ample time to get organized, but preparation in emergencies is invaluable. Also, try to store the daily caregiving journal with your loved one’s emergency folder so that up-to-date information is handy as well.
For a complete guide to creating comprehensive emergency medical folders, read “The Emergency Medical File Every Caregiver Should Create.”
As with most suggestions I’ve made throughout my years of writing for caregivers, I’m simply sharing what has worked for me. I hope that some of these ideas will give you things to consider so that you can stay organized in life no matter what happens. If you have any additional tips of your own that others may find helpful, please share them in the comments section below.