Being a Companion to an Elderly: Am I Doing This Right?

When we do something for the first time, we can’t shake off the feeling that we’re doing it wrong, even though there are no signs to support what we’re feeling. This apprehension of messing it up can be a good thing because we’re careful and we would take our time to make sure that we don’t overlook anything. Even if an activity is already a part of your everyday routine, there will always be moments wherein you ask yourself if you’re doing it right. People in the healthcare industry or people who are looking after someone can deeply relate to the aforementioned statement. If you’re having doubts about yourself, these tips from Above and Beyond Caregiving, Inc., a provider of home care services in San Antonio, TX, might be able to help you.

• Talk to them
  If you don’t have a problem with being straightforward—and neither does your loved one or patient—talking to them about it is one way of finding out if you’re doing alright in the companionship department. It can be frustrating for your part if you’re not receiving any feedback, but you have to remember that there are some people who hesitate or are too shy to make any form of comment for fear that you might get mad or insulted. It’s best to use this method when you’ve known the person for quite a long time since you already know if they’re comfortable with voicing out their sentiments or not.
• Observe non-verbal cues
  If your loved one or patient isn’t that verbal when it comes to evaluating your performance, non-verbal cues is the next best thing. For instance, you already know how someone doesn’t like you just by looking at their body language and the way they talk to you. This can help you in figuring out your loved one or patient. Familiarity can also help since you already have an idea as to what they do whenever they lie or tell the truth. It can be hard to discern non-verbal cues though because you might read into their actions too much or make false assumptions, so make sure to proceed with caution.
• Have faith in your judgment
  Sometimes, we’re so skeptical of ourselves that we don’t even notice how much we’ve accomplished already, including our progress when it comes to doing something. Believe in yourself! There’s nothing easy about taking care of a loved one or doing senior care. If you think and believe that your performance is good, then it’s probably true. However, be reasonably open-minded.
• Be reasonably open-minded
  Be open when it comes to constructive criticism. We can’t be excellent at something if we refuse to learn from other people or heed their advice. To be good at something is to accept the fact that we’re a work in progress and that even though we might make mistakes sometimes, we’ll learn from it and use it to our advantage. It can be difficult to accept criticism, but it will help you grow as a person.

After reading this, what are your insights? Is there anything you’d like to add or share? Don’t hesitate to express yourself in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!