As your parents get older, are you responsible for providing care? Aging parents highlight the need for a strong and collaborative plan to handle health, mobility, and other issues. Fortunately, with realistic expectations and support, you can help ensure your parents get the right elderly care.
Read on to learn 5 tips to remember when caring for an aging parent!
1. Be Realistic about Your Time Availability
How much time can you commit to caring for an aging parent? While you may want to be a dutiful child, life doesn’t always make this easy. From caring for your kids to clocking in at work each day, the daily demands may make it tricky.
Do you have a sibling or two you can share responsibilities with? If you live near parents and a sibling or other close relative, sharing tasks or alternating weeks of check-ins can help.
Just be sure that you don’t overextend yourself with elderly parents. You’ll become resentful and start mismanaging other parts of your life.
2. Consider Financial Needs for Aging Parents
If your elderly parents are homebound or have failing vision, handling financial responsibilities may become challenging. This can result in legal and financial problems if they don’t pay medical bills, mortgage payments, or other fees on time. Further, retirement benefits may be running short.
Look into local resources and government benefits to help defray costs. This can include prescription discounts or senior programs for which they may be qualified.
3. Caring for an Aging Parent Means Finding Qualified Help
If you live far away or don’t have the time to commit to regular care, you should outsource the tasks to qualified professionals. Some providers will offer in-home care, too, so your aging parent doesn’t have to give up their independence.
Look for professional companies with the required licenses and strong referrals. Ask about services and payment structures that can fit in a budget. And look at elderly care facilities, too, in case your parents’ level of need changes down the road.
4. Watch for Critical Changes to Parents’ Health
A fall, diagnosis, or medical issue can cause a person’s needs for care to change in an instant. That’s why it’s essential to check in with your loved one frequently to look for any changes to mobility, hearing, vision, and more.
Also, watch for signs of dementia. A parent who starts forgetting items or names easily may need to seek memory care. Visit this site for more information on how you can help your parents if their needs shift.
5. Create a Safe Living Space
Reduced mobility or vision issues can make everyday items into safety issues. Make a point of checking your parents’ living space for carpet snags, cords, or other potential tripping hazards. Swap out dim bulbs for brighter ones, and consider getting your elderly parents a virtual assistant.
Care for Your Aging Parents
Caring for an aging parent comes with a lot of responsibilities. But it can be a meaningful way to give back to your caretakers. Find some help with the process, and make sure your parents know you want to help.
When you need more tips to keep your family life in order, check back for new articles.
