When people grow to the age where a caregiver is necessary to perform everyday needed activities, a trained and qualified caregiver is called in. However, often times there are problems that arise due to caregiver neglect, self-neglect, and resistance to asking for help. These problems can have disastrous effects on the one receiving care.

Caregiver Neglect.

Caregiver neglect leads to patients being “imprisoned by their own environment.” This happens when caregivers spend minimal time in the morning, afternoon, and evening feeding and taking care of the needs of the elders, then ignore them the rest of the time. They give them no social activity, or exercise, and patients are stuck sleeping or watching tv all day. Their only exercise is getting up to use the restroom and they often suffer of poor nutrition and dehydration.

Patients stuck in this prison, often times do whatever is necessary to avoid going to the bathroom or soiling their diaper. They stop eating as much and drink less. This results in malnutrition and dehydration and poor mental stupor for patients.

The solution to this problem often times is putting patients in a good adult day services center where they can be stimulated socially in the environment of other seniors and activities. Otherwise, families will need to sacrifice, and spend money to bring in a full-time aid to provide adequate care.

Self-Neglect

Self-Neglect is another problem that arises from poorly trained caregivers. Caregivers are often hired to keep seniors accountable in taking care of themselves and their homes. This can mean ensuring that they are eating properly, drinking enough, and attending to personal hygiene.

However, if the caregiver is not stimulating patients to take care of themselves, the patients often wont do it and are left in a pitiful state. Self-neglect is a form of elder abuse, and should be reported in states that require it. Caregivers found in this state can be criminally charged.

Failure to Bring in Help

Failure to bring in help is the last, and possibly most common problem. Caregivers, perhaps to save money for families to because they believe they can handle it themselves, will not ask for help when it is required. This can be caused by a loved one that becomes so involved that they separate themselves from others and end up not being able to ask for help. Or it can be caused by a child trying to provide long term care. Regardless of the cause, it is an important one that can have drastic consequences.