Keeping organised in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives can prove to be rather overwhelming at times. This cannot ring any truer when you’re a caregiver, because not only do you need to make sure your own priorities are in check, but you also need to be sure that the care you’re giving meets your loved one’s requirements. That’s why it’s good to keep your life as systematized as possible, so you’d be able keep track of the things you need and want to do, as well as tasks and/or errands you might be likely to forget about. Hila has compiled a list of 7 tips when creating and using a caregiver’s diary.
#1 Organise and prioritise
Like with everything in our lifestyle, certain things need to be given precedence, while others need to be put on the back burner. Needless to say, imminent tasks should be at the top of the list or places in the front dividers of your diary, allowing you to free up time for less urgent, yet still mandatory things to do.
#2 Keep critical info handy
This is of utmost importance, because you’d be surprised how easily vital information and documents can be lost, without realising it. Papers which contain health logs, medical info, important appointments, physicians and/or specialists’ contacts, test results and so on, should all be kept in a special section or folder in your diary for safe keeping. This reduces the tendency of it getting lost amongst all the other piles of papers or notes.
#3 Photocopy important papers
Any crucial documents need to be stored in a binder-diary for easy reference. It’s also a good idea to keep any originals in a safe place, that way, on the off chance of not finding them when needed, you always have the actual documents to fall back on.
#4 Keep things updated
Perhaps the physician has changes his/her number or visiting clinic, maybe he’s added another number to his/her card. Be sure to update this information in your diary, because you’d never know when it might become crucial to have, especially in the unforeseen case of emergency. The same applies for appointments, where you or your physician might need to cancel or postpone accordingly.
#5 Plan ahead for meals
Whether preparing and/or cooking food or having it custom-made by a service provider, planning ahead will ensure that any meal requirements are met. This not only guarantees food to be ready in a timely manner, it also helps you plan and serve quality food made from fresh ingredients.
#6 Be sure to have medicines dated and timed
Possibly one of the most imperative tips to implement and put to practice when organising your diary – dating and timing for medicine is critical. If they’re not scheduled as prescribed, this could spell life-threatening consequences, because different medicines should be taken according to certain times of day, some after meals and others leaving enough space for the same or different doses of medicine.
#7 Make room for Exercise
Apart from the multitude of health benefits exercise brings with it, it’s definitely a great way to get rid of any pent-up energy or stress. What’s more, regular exercise lets you think more clearly and do things with a better mindset. So be sure to pencil this often forgotten, necessary activity into your daily diary.
While technology affords us to download numerous apps which can act as our pseudo-personal assistant, sometimes it’s good to physically write in a diary. Why? Well, because jotting down points is a good way of brainstorming and keeping a tangible record of what needs to get done.
We hope you’ve found this blog useful. And remember that you can always contact HILA if you’d like us to help or give you some added caregiver tips.
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