While no one likes to think about their elderly parents, the fact remains that everyone’s parents need help at some point, and it’s the family members who take the most care of the elderly. If you’re starting to think about caring for your elderly parents, here are nine expert tips to keep in mind:
Check-In On Your Parents Regularly
Regular visits are essential for your elderly loved ones. In-person visits are ideal because they can mask signs of elderly parents over the phone or via video, but something is better than nothing. If you have siblings or other family members involved, organize a rotation so that you all take turns checking on your parents and bringing gifts for the elderly. During checkups, look for signs that they need extra care, such as rapid weight gain or loss, unpaid bills, difficulty getting dressed, etc.
Know Your Limits
Most older children already have several other responsibilities in their lives in addition to caring for their parents, including full-time work and childcare. If you are considering taking on more care for your parents, be realistic about the time and effort you will need to put in and the changes you will need to make to care for them. If you already have too many demands on your life that you cannot delegate, your parents may be better cared for if siblings participate or if you hire a professional caregiver.
Calculate Your Financial Options
For most families, finances play a key role in caring for elderly parents. Some seniors may have retirement money set aside to cover nursing care, while others may be eligible for Medicare reimbursement or subsidies if their doctor determines that professional care is necessary. You could potentially use the money to hire professional help, or you may be able to pay yourself some sort of compensation from this money if you take on primary responsibility for care. Fortunately, many high-quality assisted living facilities provide excellent care and support for their residents. To find the best-assisted living facilities in Charlotte or any other city, you need to do extensive research to ensure that they offer a variety of amenities and services so that their residents receive the best care and support.
Involve Your Parents As Much As Possible
In some cases, your parents may not be able to participate in the decision-making process, for example, if they have advanced dementia that has significantly affected their cognitive abilities. However, if your parents are still able to make informed decisions, you should be as involved as possible in discussions about their care – and we’re talking about important decisions like where to live and what to do, not just the gifts they want to give to nursing home residents. You should also encourage them to write an advance directive and a living will if they don’t already have one.
If you decide not to put your parents in assisted living, you need to make sure they can age in a safe place, either in their own home or in someone else’s home. Do a security audit of your current or future home and make the necessary upgrades so you don’t have to worry about falls and other accidents. Some upgrades, such as removing faded carpets and buying a shower chair, will be cheap or even. for free. Others, like installing a stair lift, will require a larger investment and can change your home forever.
Facilitate Activities Of Daily Living.
You can also help your parents maintain their independence by facilitating instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and activities of daily living (ADL). Older adults generally need help with IADLs, such as many elderly Parents’ finances, shopping, preparing meals, and maintaining the home. Sooner or later, they will need help with ADLs, such as bathing, showering, dressing, getting in and out of bed, etc. For example, adaptive clothing designed with magnetic buttons or elastic bands allows adults to continue dressing even when they need help with traditional dressing.
Centralize Family Updates
If you have a large extended family, keeping everyone informed about the situation of your parents can become a full-time job in addition to care. Discuss the best way to keep everyone informed, whether through a Gmail email chain or a group text. Establish a protocol for sending mass updates to everyone and stick to it to avoid duplicating work for yourself and other family members. By keeping all the updates in one place, you make sure everyone is always on the same page and no one is accidentally left behind.
Continue to Take Care Of Yourself
You should put on your oxygen mask before you help others get it establish one yourself, and this metaphor applies to caring for elderly parents as much as it does to other scenarios. Exhausting yourself while caring for your parents will only hurt you and your parents in the long run. So make sure you take time to rest and stay on top of your own health needs. You won’t be able to take care of your elderly parents if you get sick or injured!
Explore Our Available Care Options.
Speaking of knowing your limits and taking care of yourself, there may come a time when your parents’ needs have evolved to the point that you can no longer care for them alone, and that’s okay. Whether you need to hire a home health aide for a reprieve or you’re thinking of moving your parents into permanent assisted living, don’t be afraid to explore other care options if you feel you need to make a change.