If you are like most people, you would kill to have your parents around, strong and healthy, as long as possible. Unfortunately, when age catches up with them, some people may become unable to take care of themselves and live a normal, fulfilling life.
Perhaps due to aging related illnesses, even going about their day-to-day activities may become difficult and overly demanding – it may seem even impossible at times. Aging parents need and deserve all the care they can get from the younger members of the family.
If your parent is a senior and has reached the point at which they can no longer live independently, ideally you can reciprocate the care you received growing up, with it being your responsibility to ensure their health and wellbeing. In other words, they may depend on you in one way or many for a happy and comfortable life. Obviously it’s not that easy when you have your own life to live and a busy work schedule to deal with.
Here are a few tips you can use to help your parents stay independent in old age.
1. Hire a Caregiver
Having your aging parents around can be a wonderful thing, especially if you are so attached to them. If they stay in your home or a nearby neighborhood, one of the things you can do to ensure proper care for them is hiring a professional caregiver. Hiring a caregiver comes with several benefits that accord them a significant level of independence they couldn’t afford if neglected or tossed into an ordinary nursing home. For instance, a caregiver is there to help reduce their workload, such as cleaning, and ensures they are well fed. For older people with health challenges, a caregiver can ensure they always take their medication on time. That said, day-job caregivers don’t come without certain demerits, which brings us to the next important point.
2. Consider a Reputed Elderly Care Facility
In an aged care facility, all the needs of your elderly loved ones should be taken care of. This means everything from food to laundry, entertainment, physical activity, health, and medical services. There is a distinct difference between a regular home for the aged and a professional aged-care living residence, however. Members of an assisted living facility are supported in their day-to-day living tasks, with the level of support tailored to their needs. This means that your aged loved ones are able to choose what to do for themselves and what to ask for help with.
It pays to let them choose the kind of elderly care facility they would want depending on their preferences. Features and amenities vary from one facility to another, but it all boils down to balancing their needs and your budget. In many cases, aged-care living has an edge over most other approaches for elderly care.
3. Prepare them for Emergency
Life can throw a curveball your way at any moment. As such it’s vital to have a plan for your parents in case of an emergency. Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, and the elderly are vulnerable in a way that younger, hardier people rarely are. A mere fall in the house may be a medical emergency for an elderly person, not to mention things like food poisoning, or a catastrophic event like flooding or a fire incident. Without adequate care, it could even be a drug overdose event due to over or mistaken use. For the safety of your elderly parents, you should try and help them understand and plan on how to handle such scenarios.
4. Give your Parents the Lead
As some of you may already have experienced, some elderly parents may stubbornly insist on performing tasks beyond their capabilities, no matter their limitations. To avoid confrontations, you can try to perform these tasks together, giving them help and taking the load from them without implying that they are incapable.
5. Encourage Social Life
Humans are social beings. The elderly are often at risk of loneliness and segregation. Old age does not mean your parents should stop connecting with others. Quite the opposite, actually - socialising can help your elderly folks maintain their independence. To ensure that they remain social and active, you should actively discourage your folks from isolating themselves. Events and activities that can help the elderly remain social and active include::
- Becoming involved in community social events
- Walking around the neighbourhood
- Engaging in cycling and other physical activities
- Joining a seniors group that organises social activities
- Frequent family get togethers
6. Ensure Their Safety and Respect Their Wishes
Many elderly individuals prefer living in their own homes with their own furnishings, meals, and routines. Understandably, some seniors want to be in total control of their lives for as long as they can. This is why you should strive to ensure their safety and security, regardless of where they stay, their overall health, or social status. You can help in many ways, such as:
- Eliminating Safety Hazards: Many seniors are prone to falling and hurting themselves. This may be caused by safety hazards in the home, like electric cords, cluttered pathways, unkempt lawns, slippery surfaces, and poor lighting. All these hazards should be eliminated.
- Respect Their Concerns: Some seniors can get really agitated if you appear to ignore or contravene their interests or wishes. This may lead to stress, and make them feel controlled or in prison. As such, it’s best to involve the elderly in all decisions that affect their lives directly.
- Freedom: Most importantly, always remember your parents are not your children, and they need their free will. Giving them the freedom to ask for or reject help can be a way to build trust and show respect to them.
If one of you parents has had an accident in the home, or otherwise needs a medical assessment, the fastest and easiest way to schedule an appointment with a doctor is to search and book online with MyHealth1st.