Family Care For People Who Depend On Others
Caring for dependent people can be very challenging on many different levels, from society to family and individual. In this article, we focus on caregivers, that is, those people who take care of people who need outside help.
What exactly does “family care” mean? What kind of caregivers are there?
First of all, it is important to distinguish between two things: formal and informal family care. The official caregiver works for pay and has experience caring for other people. Informal carers, on the other hand, are usually family members, friends, or in some cases neighbors of a person. Psychologist Rogero defines informal family care as “The care and attention that is provided primarily by family and friends or any volunteer to someone who is highly dependent on other people or has a severe disability”.
According to the World Health Organization (1999), long-term family care is usually provided by informal carers (family, friends, neighbors), professional carers or both. The goal is always to make the quality of life of the person being cared for as good as possible by considering him or her as an individual and maintaining his or her autonomy and dignity.
Why is caring for dependent people so important?
Carers help with everyday chores
When you think of caregivers, this is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Family care for addicted people is usually assistance with basic things like eating, going to the toilet, washing and dressing.
Indeed, many caregivers make an individualized treatment plan based on each patient’s own needs. Thus, the nature of a caregiver’s job may change depending on the patient’s personal needs and how independent this is.
Carers create an atmosphere of trust
Trust is a sense of security towards another person, especially about how he or she behaves in certain situations. It is the certainty of how a person works. For this reason, trusting a caregiver gives the patient a sense of security. This is one part of good family care.
A good carer can thus create a sense of trust and security, both for the person being cared for and for their family (or other family members in the case of an informal carer). For example, loved ones should be able to think, for example, “My father / mother is in good hands” or “If something goes wrong, he will notice it immediately and know how to act”.
They provide support and care
The caregiver provides follow-up and mental support to the patient. The caregiver keeps the person being cared for while the family members are at work, thus preventing a feeling of loneliness. In many cases, caring is the giving of a club to people who depend on the help of others when their own family is unable to do so.
They increase patient autonomy
Even if they are dependent people, family care can still be of great benefit in maintaining patient autonomy, as the family caregiver helps to cope with everyday tasks.
He encourages and encourages the person being cared for to do the things he or she is capable of. Of course, the caregiver also understands how much effort these things may require from the person being cared for.
Caregivers help you stay in touch with other people
Depending on the person being cared for, a carer can help him or her maintain relationships outside the family. This is important because it helps prevent feelings of loneliness.
With new technology, a caregiver can help a patient stay active in their area, help them participate in certain activities, and interact with family, friends, or neighbors.
A caregiver improves the quality of life of the person being cared for
Let’s now go back to how a caregiver can help maintain a patient’s dignity and self-esteem by giving him or her a sense of autonomy. Carers do the necessary work for long days, but society does not always value their important work.
For this reason, we wanted to dedicate this article to caregivers. It doesn’t matter if you do it for your job or informally as a family member. Carers are a mainstay for people in need. They improve the quality of life of all people close to the patient.
