What You Need to Know about Mental Illness and Aging Adults
There are a wide range of mental health issues your senior might face. What’s important is that you tackle what you can in the ways that you can. You’re going to need some help along the way.
Caregiver in Southport IN: Mental Illness and Aging Adults
Build a Strong Relationship with Her Doctors
One of the most important tools you have in your corner could be the relationships you build with your senior’s doctors. They can help you to understand what’s going on with her mental health as well as her physical health. They can also help you to see when one is affecting the other.
Make Sure You’re Keeping up with Medications
Depending on the type of mental illness your senior is dealing with, there may be a variety of medications she’s taking. She may also be taking medications for physical health issues. All of these medications have side effects and may interact with each other in ways that are tough to understand at first. Her doctors can help you to understand what to look for and what problems could arise due to medications.
Track Symptoms and What Works
Something else to consider is creating a log or journal to track your senior’s symptoms so you can keep up with what helps and what doesn’t. For instance, some foods, food additives, and other things, like rest, can all help or hinder her mental health. When you’re tracking that information, it’s easier to start seeing patterns.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Talk to your senior about what she feels helps and what doesn’t. It’s easy to overlook that aspect of her care, but when you keep her as involved as possible, you remind her that you care what she’s thinking and feeling. She might be more willing to help you if she feels that you’re doing all that you can to ensure she’s got what she needs.
Take Care of Yourself
It’s always important that you’re taking care of yourself as a caregiver. But as a caregiver for someone who has mental health concerns, it’s even more important. It might be a good idea to hire home care providers and to ensure that you’re taking regular time away as much as you can. Prioritize your self-care so that you can keep being there for your senior.
Your elderly family member’s mental illness may change depending on her health and on so many other variables. Do what you can to keep up with everything that’s going on.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Southport, IN, please call the caring staff at Home Services Unlimited. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: (317) 471-0760
As a practicing Registered Nurse, Etelka was keenly aware of a void in quality patient care that could be provided in the home. She embarked upon a journey to develop a home health care agency that would exceed all expectations and become a trusted partner to physicians and patients.
A Distinguished Career From Nurse to Director of Nursing to President of Home Services Unlimited
Etelka’s distinguished career followed a logical progression to her position as President of Home Services Unlimited. She graduated as a nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Nursing (RN) in 1972 from Meshgorya University in the Ukraine, close to where she lived with her family. She married her husband Phil in 1973 and decided in 1977 that they would relocate to the United States to be closer to family and to come to this land of opportunity. With an eagerness to continue her budding career, Etelka sat for and passed her Boards in the U.S. in 1979.
A Love and Talent for Working with the Elderly
Etelka began her nursing career in the U.S. at Colonial Crest, now part of Golden Living, where she was the In-service Coordinator, the Director of Training and Education and Director of Nursing, a position she occupied for several years.
With a group of partners, she co-founded Adept Corporation, which operated group homes for the mentally challenged. The business was successful and in 1996, Etelka sold her share to return to her roots, caring for the elderly.
In January of 1997, Etelka opened Home Services Unlimited as a fully licensed business to provide home health care. In her quest to learn to do better for her patients, she had already obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) in May of 1990 from the College of St. Francis. As President of Home Services Unlimited, Inc., Etelka guides the trusted, experienced care model Home Services Unlimited uses to continue providing excellent home health care.
Giving Back to the Community of Indianapolis
Volunteering for community services is a high priority for Etelka. Her memberships include the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Executive Women in Health Care and the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Etelka has also served on the Board of Directors with Hooverwood Home, a highly regarded geriatric facility, since 1997 and as the President for 2005-2006. Through her community work, she has received several awards and accolades, including the Nora McFarland award in 2002, from the Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
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