I am always impressed with the caregivers that come to our offices. Whether it is a spouse or a child, or sometimes an in-law, it is always something to behold.
So when I knew I was going to get the honor to take care of my husband when he had his knee replacement, I was nervous. What you may not know about me is that when I am nervous, I go to Amazon and buy everything in sight that I can possibly use as a tool to make things easier.
Useful Caregiving Tools I Found Online
So here are some things I bought that you might use….
First, I tried to use an old walker we had around the office – big mistake, it was quite rickety and basically unusable.
So first lesson, don’t try and use some hand me down that is not in the best shape. Luckily my mother in law had a much more sturdy one that we were able to use.
Other highlights include the pack of grabbers including sock aid, long shoe horn, dressing stick and leg lifter. The leg lifter was really critical to get the leg up for stretching.
Another tool was the Bed Assist Rail. Dave was able to get into and out of bed with plenty of support. It was easy to assemble and will be easy to store when we are done with it.
When I asked David what his most helpful tool was, he reminded me of the ice cooler Cryotherapy machine system. He found one on ebay to save money but every day he has needed that Ice.
One thing that was helpful was the many configurations of elevation pillows including wedges, knee pillows for sleeping on your side and even a body pillow. Trying to be comfortable was the biggest part to recovery.
Can you tell yet that I buy stuff when I am nervous??
One more thing we are doing is Hello Fresh – it allows us to have all the food we need for good healthy meals without having to go to the store.
I am also a fan of Amazon and Instacart.
Things I Learned About Being a Caregiver
So here are some things I learned about caregiving:
- Take the time from work and everything else to focus on what is needed for the patient.
- Take time for yourself to do one thing per day that would rest your mind and body. Get a family member or a paid caregiver to make time for yourself.
- Be sure to buy things in advance – trying to scramble is hard.
- And maybe the one thing I need to remember is to not judge myself or others for what I am able to do and unable to do. I do my best each day to make my husband’s recovery a bit easier and I remember that his job is to get better, and my job is to support that.
I am truly grateful for all of my client’s caregivers that remind me each day that I can do hard and that service brings me closer to my higher power.
May you be blessed this holiday season with gratitude and love!
– Rachel
