The Essential Guide To Caring For Parents
If you are a little overwhelmed by the caring needs that your elderly parents now require, don’t panic. It can be devastating to witness the faculties of our parents diminishing. We might remember them giving us piggy backs and being the life and soul of every party like it was yesterday. However, time can creep up on us and leave is facing our own mortality. It’s easy to feel a little lost when trying to work out how best to care for our mom and dad. You have three options. They can either live with you, head to a residential care facility, or live independently. Read on to discover the best option for you and your parents.
Living With You
To have your parents living with you will either seem like bliss or hell. If you have little darlings yourself, having the grandparents move in can be a real treat. Providing that they don’t have any medical needs that need round the clock care, having the older generation mix with the youth of today can help keep your parents young. It can give them a new lease of life and lift their mood. Kids love hearing older people regale them with stories of days gone by. If you enjoy having your parents around, having them live with you could be a wise idea. However, the family dynamic will inevitably shift and you need to be prepared for this. As your parents do age, there may come a time when they can no longer live with you.
Residential Care
Heading to a nursing home or residential care facility can be terrifying. You cannot work alone when sorting this living arrangement out, and you must try to get your parent on board. If they have memory loss, dementia or significant medical needs, you will need to be on hand to take them to the urgent care clinic, but you cannot be expected to look after them twenty four hours a day. This simply wouldn’t work. Many residential care homes are lovely, clean and social hubs nowadays. They aren’t the drab ‘waiting for God’ places of old. Visit a few with your parents and take your time when selecting the most appropriate one for your mom or dad. Make sure it’s close by so that you can visit regularly.
Independent Living
If your parents are old yet still mobile and have their wits about them, independent living is still an option. While you might want to have a visit by an occupational therapist and social workers simply to vet their surroundings, many older people are keen to cling onto their independence for as long as possible. Visit lots and have them equipped with larger subtitles on the TV and a louder doorbell. Simple adjustments to make their daily lives easier will help them to maintain independence for longer.
Having older parents and seeing them creep closer and closer to losing their independence can be heartbreaking. However, you can ensure that their quality of life remains excellent by assessing their needs and helping them to sort out their living arrangements so that they remain content and happy.
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