Practical help, by level of care — from the most trusted sources
Below, three guides matched to where your situation is right now (light support, moderate, or full), followed by the most reliable caregiver training libraries on the internet — AARP, the Alzheimer's Association, and Mayo Clinic. Pick what you need today.
Light support means your loved one is largely independent but needs help with specific tasks — errands, transportation, medication reminders, or companionship.
The "5 Rights" of medication safety:
- Right person — confirm it's for this individual
- Right medication — read the label carefully
- Right dose — verify the amount
- Right time — give as scheduled
- Right route — oral, topical, etc.
A weekly pill organizer with morning and evening compartments can dramatically reduce missed or double doses.
- Aim for consistent wake, meal, and bedtimes
- Include gentle activity — short walks, light stretching, or time outdoors
- Plan activities your loved one enjoys and can still participate in
- Allow for flexibility — some days will be harder than others
- Check in regularly even if not physically present — a phone call goes a long way
- Use a non-slip mat inside the tub/shower, and a bath rug outside
- Install a handheld showerhead for easier bathing
- Consider a shower chair or bench if standing is difficult or tiring
- A raised toilet seat can make sitting and standing easier and safer
- Keep the path to the bathroom clear and well-lit at night
- Encourage fluids regularly — water, juice, broth, herbal tea
- Offer smaller, more frequent meals if appetite is low
- Prioritize nutrient-dense foods — protein, healthy fats, vegetables
- Watch for changes in appetite, swallowing, or interest in food
- Contact a doctor if significant weight loss occurs over several weeks
- Mood and mental clarity — confused or unusually withdrawn?
- Appetite and hydration — eating and drinking enough?
- Sleep — resting well at night?
- Mobility — any new difficulty walking or getting up?
- Skin — any new bruising, redness, or wounds?
Moderate support means your loved one needs daily hands-on help — with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, or medications. You're involved most days.
- Position the commode next to the bed on your loved one's dominant side
- Lock the commode wheels before helping someone transfer onto it
- Always support during transfer — never leave someone unattended mid-transfer
- Empty and clean the commode after each use
- Provide privacy when possible — step away if safe to do so
Pressure sores can develop quickly in people who spend a lot of time in bed or in a wheelchair.
- Inspect skin daily — especially around hips, heels, tailbone, elbows, and shoulders
- Moisturize dry skin regularly
- Keep skin clean and dry — moisture from incontinence damages skin quickly
- Reposition every 2 hours if they spend long periods in bed
- Contact a doctor right away if you see redness that does not fade, open skin, or dark discoloration
Sample morning routine:
- Wake up and morning hygiene (face wash, dental care)
- Assist with dressing — offer choices to preserve autonomy
- Medications with breakfast
- Brief movement or light activity if able
Evening routine:
- Light meal and evening medications
- Personal care and nighttime hygiene
- Comfortable positioning in bed
- Check that water, call device, and nighttime needs are within reach
- Roll your loved one gently to one side and tuck the used linen behind them
- Place the clean linen on the empty side and fold the excess toward your loved one
- Roll them to the opposite side (over both linens) and pull out the used linen
- Smooth the clean linen underneath and gently roll them back to center
- Always explain what you are doing before moving someone — it reduces anxiety
If your loved one needs help with any of the following, they may require a higher level of medical care:
- Lifting or repositioning that requires two people
- Bedpan or catheter management
- Wound care or dressing changes
- Tube feeding, oxygen therapy, or IV medications
Important: Grand County has extremely limited senior care infrastructure — Canyonlands Care Center is an extremely limited, 36 bed long-term nursing home with a current wait-list that is more than double the bed capacity. There are no assisted-living options and little aging-in-place assistance.
For guidance, call: Utah ADRC: 1-800-371-7897
Full support caregiving is among the most demanding things a person can do. Please also visit the Caregiver Wellness page and the Burden Self-Check — your wellbeing matters deeply.
Full support means continuous or near-continuous care — complex personal care, repositioning, managing serious medical needs, or help with all basic daily activities.
- Sleep in shifts if overnight care is required — ask someone else to take a turn
- Do the hardest physical tasks when you have the most energy
- Accept help when it's offered — this is not weakness
- Keep a basic care log to communicate clearly if someone else steps in
- Set aside even 10–15 minutes daily that belongs entirely to you
- Gather supplies first: warm water basin, soft cloths, soap, lotion, clean clothes, towels
- Keep the room warm — no drafts
- Work section by section: face → neck → arms → chest → abdomen → legs → feet → back → genital area (last)
- Use a clean cloth for each area — especially the genital area
- Pat dry thoroughly — never rub; wet skin breaks down quickly
- Apply lotion to dry areas, especially heels and elbows
- Inspect skin carefully during each bath
- Keep a timer nearby to reposition every 2 hours
- Use pillows to support the body in a side-lying position (30–45 degree angle)
- Place a pillow between the knees to prevent pressure where legs touch
- Protect the heels with a pillow — heels should float off the surface
- Never drag a person across the bed — this causes friction wounds; lift or use a draw sheet
- Check pressure points every time: heels, tailbone, hips, shoulders, back of head, elbows
If you see redness that does not fade within 30 minutes of removing pressure, or any open skin, contact a doctor promptly.
- Offer toileting opportunities every 2–3 hours — don't wait for a request
- Use brief-style incontinence products if needed — change promptly to prevent skin breakdown
- Clean gently with warm water and fragrance-free wipes — front to back
- Apply a moisture barrier cream to protect skin in the perineal area
- Treat this with matter-of-fact dignity — your tone sets the emotional experience
- Offer small amounts frequently rather than three large meals
- Elevate the head of the bed 30–45 degrees before feeding and for 30 minutes after
- Watch for swallowing difficulty: coughing during eating, wet or gurgling voice, food pocketing
- Offer water, broth, or electrolyte drinks regularly — even small amounts matter
- Do not force eating — honor your loved one's limits
Hospice is not giving up — it is a shift in focus toward comfort, dignity, and quality of life when curative treatment is no longer helpful or desired.
Moab Regional Hospital offers a hospice program serving Grand County:
MRH Hospice Program →Hospice services are typically covered by Medicare and Medicaid for eligible individuals. Call Moab Regional Hospital at (435) 719-3500 to learn more.
If your loved one needs help with any of the following, they may require a higher level of medical care:
- Lifting or repositioning that requires two people
- Bedpan or catheter management
- Wound care or dressing changes
- Tube feeding, oxygen therapy, or IV medications
Important: Grand County has extremely limited senior care infrastructure — Canyonlands Care Center is an extremely limited, 36 bed long-term nursing home with a current wait-list that is more than double the bed capacity. There are no assisted-living options and little aging-in-place assistance.
For guidance, call: Utah ADRC: 1-800-371-7897
Caregiver training from the most respected organizations
You don't have to figure out how to do hands-on care by watching strangers online. Three of the most trusted organizations in the country maintain free, regularly-updated libraries specifically for family caregivers — with written guides, step-by-step articles, and video demonstrations. We point you to them rather than embedding videos here, because their content updates and links move; theirs will always be current.
AARP Caregiving Resource Center
AARP's caregiving library is written and reviewed specifically for non-medical family caregivers — the people learning hands-on care for the first time. It is one of the most complete, practical resources available anywhere.
What you'll find there
- Clear, modern video walk-throughs of safe transfers (getting someone in and out of bed, a chair, or the toilet without hurting either of you) — the single most injury-prone task in home caregiving.
- Step-by-step guidance on bathing and personal hygiene — how to preserve dignity, avoid falls, manage resistance, and handle the parts no one ever shows you.
- Medication organization — systems for tracking multiple medications, avoiding dangerous interactions, and keeping a running record for doctors.
- Legal and financial planning guides, a care-planning workbook, and state-by-state resource directories.
Why it's credible
AARP is a major national nonprofit focused on aging, with decades of advocacy work and a large team of in-house researchers. Their caregiving content is reviewed with healthcare professionals before publication.
Alzheimer's Association — Help & Support for Caregivers
For anyone caring for a person with dementia, the Alzheimer's Association is the single most important resource on the internet. Their caregiver library covers every stage, every common situation, and every hard conversation.
What you'll find there
- Excellent video training on communicating with someone whose thinking or language is changing — what to do when they don't recognize you, when they repeat questions, when they resist help.
- Practical guidance on behavior changes — wandering, agitation, sundowning, sleep disruption, and suspicion — with specific strategies that actually work.
- Daily-care routines including bathing, dressing, mealtimes, and keeping the person safely engaged during the day.
- A free 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 staffed by masters-level clinicians — available to any caregiver with a question, at any hour.
Why it's credible
The Alzheimer's Association is the gold-standard organization for dementia care worldwide. Their content is widely used in clinical and home-care caregiver education programs.
Mayo Clinic
One of the most trusted medical institutions in the United States. Mayo's caregiver and patient-care library is written and reviewed by their clinical staff, so what you're learning aligns with hospital-level standards of practice.
What you'll find there
- Clinically accurate demonstrations of mobility assistance — how to help someone stand, walk, sit, and move between surfaces without causing injury to either of you.
- Fall prevention — evidence-based guidance on reducing fall risk at home, what to do when a fall happens, and how to recover safely.
- General care principles — managing medications, nutrition, hygiene, skin care, and recognizing when to call the doctor.
- Caring for someone with Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, cancer, and other serious illnesses.
- Caregiver self-care — recognizing caregiver stress, preventing burnout, and using FMLA.
- Mayo Clinic Connect, a free online community moderated by Mayo staff where caregivers and patients share experiences and advice.
Why it's credible
Mayo Clinic is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the country. Every article is authored or reviewed by Mayo clinicians, so the content aligns with the standard of care used in top academic medical centers.
Family Caregiver Alliance
A long-established national nonprofit focused entirely on family caregivers — including unpaid family members who have quietly become the front line of someone's care. Their resources are practical, research-backed, and frequently referenced by healthcare systems.
What you'll find there
- Practical videos and webinars on daily care tasks — the real, unglamorous work of caregiving, taught clearly.
- Caregiver burnout prevention — some of the most widely-used guidance on recognizing and interrupting the burnout cycle before it becomes a crisis.
- System navigation — how to work with doctors, hospitals, insurers, Medicaid, and community services without losing your mind.
- CareNav, a free online tool that helps families navigate the caregiving journey step-by-step.
- Condition-specific fact sheets on dementia, Parkinson's, stroke, cancer, and other major illnesses.
Why it's credible
FCA has focused on caregivers — and only caregivers — for decades. They host the National Center on Caregiving and are a go-to reference for hospitals, agencies, and policy researchers nationwide.
Teepa Snow — Positive Approach to Care
If you are caring for someone with dementia, Teepa Snow is the name to know. Her Positive Approach to Care (PAC) method is among the most respected dementia-care frameworks in the world and is widely used in professional memory-care training. Her videos are unusually practical — they show you exactly how to stand, how to speak, how to move, and how to de-escalate in real situations.
What you'll find there
- Highly practical, hands-on dementia care videos — many available free on YouTube and the PAC site — demonstrating real techniques for hard moments.
- Real-world interaction techniques: how to greet someone who no longer recognizes you, how to offer help without triggering resistance, how to handle agitation or refusal of care.
- Training programs and online classes for family caregivers who want a deeper skill base.
- A network of certified PAC trainers and coaches around the country.
Why it's credible
Teepa Snow is an occupational therapist with decades of dementia-care clinical experience. Her PAC method is evidence-informed, clinically respected, and used in both professional and family-caregiver education across the United States and internationally.
A note on videos. Each of these organizations produces excellent video demonstrations alongside their written guides. We do not link to specific videos here because those URLs tend to change as content is updated — but following the main links above will always bring you to their current, active video libraries. If you are new to hands-on caregiving, starting with AARP's transfer and bathing videos (and, for dementia, Teepa Snow's greeting and redirection videos) before you need them is one of the most practical things you can do.
You're doing something remarkable.
Caregiving at any level takes patience, love, and more strength than most people realize. Take care of yourself too.