The Center for Retirement Research found that about 17% of adults end up providing care for their parents as they age. One thing that can make it easier to start caring for elderly parents is to allow them to age in place.
What is aging in place? Aging in place is when your parents are able to stay in their home as you get holder, which lessens the stress as your parents’ transition into a new phase of life.
Do you want to learn how you can help your parents age in place? Keep reading these top solutions that will help improve the quality of life while your parents get older.
Assess Your Parents’ Needs
One of the first things you need to do when you are considering caring for elderly parents is to understand your parent’s needs. Do they have any specific medical needs, mobility issues, or anything else that needs to be prioritized when they are living at home?
Other needs that your parents may have are personal hygiene help, meal preparation, and even social interaction.
Learning more about the things that your parents need help with every day can help you understand what you can do to help your parents age in place.
Consider Your Own Needs
While it is important to know what your parents need help with, it is important to understand your own needs and capabilities when it comes to providing care. In many cases, it is not possible for one person to take care of all of their parent’s needs on their own.
By putting too much pressure on yourself to care for your parents, it can lead to caregivers’ resentment. Make sure you assess your own needs before you commit to helping your parents more than you are able to.
Communication Is Key
When you are taking care of your parents, communication is key. You should include your parents in the entire process so they do not feel like they are losing control of their life.
Involving your parents in decisions about their care will help them feel like they still have independence and are able to make decisions for themselves.
Even before you talk to your parents about aging in place, you should begin having discussions about the idea. This way, your parents will get used to the idea and will not be as hesitant when the time comes to make the transition.
Discuss Safety Concerns With Your Parents
Something else that needs to be done when you are caring for your parents is discussing potential safety concerns. If there are any hazards in your home, they may lead to injuries or other accidents.
Luckily, there are many simple changes and home modifications that you can make to their home to make it safer. For example, you can add grab bars in the bathroom, clear clutter out of your house, and potentially provide your parents with a way to contact you in case of an emergency.
If your parents are not able to make it up and down stairs on their own, you may also consider adding stairlifts to your home to allow them to retain their independence and to make it easier to move around.
Help Them Maintain a Social Life
Next, you need to find ways to help your parents maintain a social life, especially if they are living alone. Everyone needs access to companionship and social interaction. Without this, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Finding clubs or hobbies for your parents to join can help them make friends in the same stage of life and can keep them happier while they are going through a major life change.
Work to Keep Your Parents Active
Similarly, it is important that you find ways to keep your parents active. Staying healthy and physically fit provides many benefits to older adults. First, it allows them to stay mobile and more independent. This is because exercise will help your parents strengthen their bones, muscles, and joints.
This will also keep your parents safer, as it can reduce the risk of falling and even getting sick.
Finally, physical activity can prevent your parents from developing memory problems and it can improve their mood. Even if your parents don’t want to leave their home, there are plenty of at-home activities and exercises they can follow.
Consider Other Home Care Options
Finally, you need to consider other home care options that can help your parents age in place. This is especially important when you do not have time to help your parents full-time or if you live far away.
There are many types of care options that allow your parents to stay in their home even if you are not with them.
For example, you can hire in-home caregiving help through an agency. This will keep your parents comfortable at home, but they will have access to a professional to help them with their daily needs.
If your parents don’t need full-time care, you may simply want to hire someone to cook or clean for your parents a few times a week. The level of care your parents need depends on their specific needs, so you need to discuss this with your parents.
Learn More About Helping Your Parents Age in Place
Learning how to help your parents age in place is something that can make their life transitions much easier on both of you. However, it is important that you consider some different aspects of caring for elderly parents.
By following each of these tips for aging in place, you can make the process go much more smoothly.
Do you want to learn about aging in place and home modifications that make it easier? Check out the other articles on our site about lifestyle and technology changes that can help your parents.
