Helping Your Parents As They Age
If one, or even both, of your parents are getting to that age where they could use a little help throughout the day, or with some of their medical needs, then you may have a few options available to you. Here are some of the things that you may want to consider when it comes to making sure your parents are well taken care of as they move on to that next phase in life where they need some help:
Have them move into your home: One of the things that you can do is to have them move into your home with you. However, this will only work out if you have a home that they can move around in safely and as long as someone will be there with them most of the day when they need assistance. If you live alone and travel a lot, then this won't be a good fit. However, if you are married and yourself or your spouse are home most of the time and are capable and willing to help your parent, then this may be just the answer. It may take a bit of work in the beginning to get everything prepared for them and to come up with a schedule that works, but once you have a system down, things will move right along.
Hire a nurse to help them as often as needed: If one or both of your parents are still pretty self-sufficient, but they just need a little extra help throughout the day with things like cooking and some of the household chores and errands, then you may find that hiring a nurse or even a housekeeper to come and take care of those things for them may be all they need. If they are going to need any assistance at all with things like medications and/or grooming then a nurse would be the best choice. However, if most of the things have to do with caring for the house and some cooking, then a housekeeper may be the way to go instead.
Move them into senior assisted apartments: You can also move your parents into senior assisted apartments. These apartments allow them to downgrade into a smaller place they will feel more comfortable in as they need less space. Senior assisted apartments are also great because they have the things your parents need, such as cooked meals, help with household chores, staff to help with medical needs and even someone to take them to and from their doctor's appointments.
Share