A phone call came through to inform me that someone pushed my aged father and he fell breaking a hip. We rushed him to a nearby hospital and eventually a tertiary health institution where he had to undergo hip replacement surgery. That was the beginning of a long journey of running between our jobs and caring for him in the hospital.
My siblings and I had to make a lot of decisions about his post-surgery care at home. Although he and our aged mother have a housekeeper that takes care of their need around the house such as cleaning, washing, and cooking, it was obvious that she is ill-equipped with the skills required to care for Dad. We made inquiries about nursing services and caregiver provider services close enough to care for Dad especially so that he does not fall or sustain any injury that could set back his recovery.
It was tough getting a caregiver, that lived close enough to the town where Mum and Dad were based. Eventually, my sister who is a nurse hosted Dad and Mum at her home and this was not easy as she had work duties running shifts as well as her immediate family needs.
She nursed him for some weeks until we were sure he could cope reasonably well without needing a health caregiver to support his mobility constantly. So, some of my other siblings took over his care in their homes until his mobility improved. Who is taking care of your older adult? Is he or she adequately equipped for the role and tasks? Many times, family members unable to care for their older parents and grandparents engage the services of caregivers who are ill-equipped to handle the tasks.
Creating a safe environment for the elderly requires hiring trained and certified caregivers. Why there is a need for More Trained Caregivers. In Nigeria, we have about 10 million older persons National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria- and this population is increasing. There are not enough trained caregivers to meet the need of this ever-growing population of elderly persons.
