When the person(s) that raised you now relies on you, the responsibility can feel overwhelming. It’s important to have a plan in place and discuss all of the options ahead of you while your parent can still communicate their wishes. Building a long-term care plan can make an uneasy situation a little easier to wade through. Typically, the first step adult children think of is caring for their aging parent at home. This is a great way to keep the parent in a comfortable, familiar space as well as saving money. Caring for an aging parent at home also provides some valuable time for family members to figure out exactly what will be needed in either at home care or facility-based care.
Assess their needs
A lot of things go into caring for a parent at home and this can be overwhelming. Having an understanding of how much help the parent requires with everyday life is crucial from the start. How safe is the home they will be staying in? How much family support will be available, and when? What are their medical needs? How is their cognitive health? How will you handle personal hygiene, do they need assistance bathing? What will their meal situation look like? How independently mobile are they? How much social interaction will they receive on a normal basis?
Assess your own abilities and needs
Before you assume that you can take it all on to be their personal 24/7 caretaker, assess your own situation. Everyone is in different places in their lives when this time comes. Can you physically care for another person without risking your health? Are you living close enough to visit as often as necessary? Do you have a healthy relationship with them, where spending time together will not create a lot of heavy negative feelings on either side? Do you want to live with them, in their house or yours? Are you willing to learn how to become their caregiver?
Include your parent in the conversation
As a person who is already scared of losing their independence, it is crucial that they don’t feel as if they are losing all control over their life. Involve your parent as much as you can when planning for their living and care situation moving forward. If they are not in immediate danger, try to move through the process slowly. Many are hesitant to change, so this may take multiple difficult conversations to get through. Focus on a small amount of critical needs in the beginning and gradually add things on.
Strategize the financial situation
Whether they are cared for at home or within a qualified facility, caring for an aging parent will cost money. Be prepared by estimating future costs and reviewing your available finances.
Help your parent to stay engaged and active
Once they are unable to transport themselves to activities or host gatherings like they were used to while living independently, many aging parents will start to feel isolated. Keep them active in their hobbies and/or communities by either providing transportation to events and engagements, looking into hiring a companion, or maybe they a fellow activity member who can provide transportation.
Make the home safe
There are many safety hazards in the home that we don’t think about. Something as simple as a stray cord on the floor could be the difference in preventing a terrible fall for an aging parent in your home.
A. Add grab bars in the bathroom and make sure stair railings are secure. Med Supply offers a range of bath safety equipment.
B. Keep all floors and walkways clear.
C. Confirm your appliances are within easy reach and work well.
D. Reduce the need for usage of step stools or low bending.
E. Update or add lighting to all rooms to keep them well lit, especially the bathroom.
Look into aging care options
There are many available resources when looking into care options. Med Supply works closely with Premier Visiting Nurse, which offers a number of specialty programs that are designed to address the needs of their patients. Med Supply also works closely with Premier Hospice, which provides professionals who offer support based on their special areas of expertise.