Tips for Visiting Parents In Long Term Care Facilities and Other Good Caregiving Tips

The Association of Long Term Care Planning (ALTCP.org) has put together a list of tips for visiting parents in Long Term Care Facilities.  Their list was generated by 20 "experts" in the field and I'm thrilled to be part of this group. The tips range from communicating with your family member, to understanding the nuts and bolts of the facility. I think you'll find each and every tip informative and valuable. While some pertain to a solely residential facility setting, others are just great general caregiving tips as well.

Among them:

• When visiting a family member, space out your visits and vary your arrival times.
• Pay special attention to verbal cues, body language, posture and gestures.
• Come as often as possible and stay for a minimum of an hour.
• Be sensitive to where they are that day-emotionally, physically and mentally, and go with the flow.
• It's less about what we as family members want, and more about how our loved ones feel.
• Don't quiz them about the events of the day, just enjoy the moment.
• Stay in the moment, don't try to solve the problems of the past.

Here's a link to the article from the Assocation's Website. 

Let me know which tips you find the most helpful.