Written by Krystal Walden, Master of Science in Gerontology
Krystal Walden is the Founder/CEO of KRYSTAL SPA®. She is a former World-Class and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Track Athlete with a Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC).
Caregiving is a noble deed! You probably think that being a mature adult's caregiver seems overwhelming and time-consuming. Can I, with the help of family and friends, handle the caregiving needs of my beloved mature adult? Do I have the capacity to manage these caregiving needs? Where can I find other suitable caregiving resources? How do I choose the best caregiving resources? How do I preserve the quality of life for my mature adult?
Caregiving for a loved one can be one of the best ways to express your love, compassion, empathy, and support. It has always been a cliché that aging is such a lonely experience. However, it does not have to be!
I know that it can be uncomfortable to think and talk about the healthcare needs of your beloved mature adult. Thankfully, there are only two major styles for caring for your beloved mature adult. You may need to consider the options of informal or formal caregiving styles. Let's discuss the difference between the two caregiving styles.
Informal caregiving involves family and friends
This caregiving style has been bestowed upon loved ones who support their beloved mature adult mentally, physically, and emotionally. Let us face it: There are no “Krystal" balls, and no one can guarantee what will happen to a loved one in the near or far future.
Spending time with your beloved mature adult can be a priceless gift, enriched with history, culture, family traditions, wisdom, knowledge, storytelling, laughter, and much more. Doing so will make your beloved mature adult more sociable than isolated.
Mental health care
A mature adult is rich with stories about the challenges and triumphs they and all before them endured and overcame to provide and secure family foundations for future generations. When a mature adult is given the opportunity to share their stories, it stimulates their memories, helping to keep their brain strong and vibrant and less susceptible to memory loss and brain damage.
Physical health care
A mature adult faces challenges at times and needs help with tasks such as crossing the street, holding a door open, carrying their grocery bags to the car, and picking up things that have been dropped by accident. There are benefits in encouraging and motivating a mature adult to take simple walks accompanied by a loved one. These walks around the neighborhood, parks, beaches, and even shopping malls stimulate the nervous and muscular systems, helping their body support healthier functionality.
Emotional health care
A mature adult is often separated from the traditional adult cohort and grouped into the elder cohort. During the stages of aging, the mature adult frequently finds themselves alone and isolated. It is imperative to prove their value, respect, and love to them. When a mature adult receives selfless acts of kindness and generosity, it warms their hearts. These acts of love encourage the mature adult to fight for their lives until they can no longer fight.
Formal caregiving involves healthcare professionals
This caregiving style provides in-home care for a mature adult with disabilities and chronic illnesses or in a clinic at one of four diverse healthcare facilities. Let’s explore the essential caregiving options for a mature adult with complex healthcare cases during the stages of aging. You may be wondering when it is proper for a mature adult to optimize and utilize these options. Well, that depends.
Home healthcare
The ideal and more desired place for an independent mature adult to experience the stages of aging is in the comfort of one’s home. Please take a moment and think about this: your home is set up exactly how you want it to be. Your home is a familiar place; it is cozy, comfortable, warm, relaxing, and more! Home healthcare provides the luxury of having professional medical providers come to the home to offer customized care plans. These plans can provide valuable ways to sustain aging at home. These healthcare providers are often medical assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other specialists.
Assisted living facilities
There are times when an independent mature adult starts to become disabled mentally, physically, or both. These disabilities can prohibit Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), such as remembering medication, preparing meals, housekeeping, managing finances, etc. Typically, the mature adult does not have family members or friends who can step in for various lifestyle reasons. So now, the mature adult needs someone(s) else to help them with these fundamental skills for their well-being and survival.
Skilled nursing care facilities
It is common for a mature adult to reach the point where their disabilities advance and are coupled with complex and chronic medical conditions. At that point, the mature adult will need caregiving by a professional healthcare provider along with specific medical equipment. These medical conditions can range from any Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) that have advanced and now are paired with Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Cardiovascular Disease, and Osteoarthritis, to name a few.
Hospital/hospice care facilities
Unfortunately, the mature adult will reach a point in their lives where they are severely and chronically ill or at the end of life. At this stage of aging, around-the-clock medical assistance is essential. These medical conditions also require exceptional and advanced medical techniques and equipment. In most cultures, the end of life is a celebration. This celebration is when the family is grateful that their beloved mature adult is no longer suffering. Rather, they rest in peace.
Thinking about your loved ones getting older, wiser, and more mature can be uncomfortable. There can be many questions about their mental, physical, and emotional health during the stages of aging. However, instead of stressing and worrying about the length of life for your beloved mature adult, spend that energy in the present moment with them. This moment will highlight the need to value your beloved mature adult and the need to lend a helping hand whenever possible.
Know that you are not alone. Contact us to schedule a one-on-one session with Krystal Walden. She will brainstorm the wisest caregiving options suitable for your beloved mature adult. Contact Krystal Spa® here.
Krystal Walden, Master of Science in Gerontology
Krystal Walden brings to the health and fitness spa, 25+ years of experience as a competitive athlete; offering her unique fusion of athletic gifts and accreditations. Krystal specializes in helping individuals (from beginners to athletes) get back in touch consciously with their mind, body, and soul. She strongly emphasizes on body awareness and alignment for maximum injury prevention and recovery. With the kind of strength, flexibility, balance and compassions that Krystal possesses there is no doubt that she will meet her goals, to enhance the global image of how to live a stronger, healthier, and balanced lifestyle.
