As your parents and loved ones age, their ability to do things they once did will decrease. Whether from age or preexisting medical conditions, it can be easy for an elderly person to become forgetful, fragile, and even accident prone.
As their children, naturally you want to protect them the best way you know how. As there are plenty of options out there to choose from, discerning which method is best for your aging loved ones will require a joint effort and a wealth of information.
Below are some options you have for elderly loved ones living alone.
Install Devices Around the Home
For aging parents who have some trouble doing things but aren’t completely ill or disabled, getting them to leave their homes might prove difficult. They love their independence and don’t wish to have you impeding on it.
In cases like these where your parents are otherwise healthy, you might consider installing devices around the home.
Security system –
If your parents live alone and you’re worried about things like burglaries, fires, or home invasions, you can have a home security system installed in the home. There are a lot of companies and products to choose from. If you were to call ADT now, you could ask to review options for seniors which could even include discounts and monitoring services so authorities are dispatched in case of trouble.
Medical Alert Necklace –
In addition to a home security monitoring service, having your parents were a medical alert necklace can be lifesaving. For instances where your parents might fall or get hurt and can’t reach the phone, a press of a button would immediately connect them to emergency assistance.
Mobility Devices –
If your parents have a hard time getting around mobility devices may help to prolong their independence. Stair lifts, lift chairs, elevators, and more are all instrumental in helping the disabled and elderly get around their homes with ease.
Consider Additional Help Around the House
If your parents are aging and having a difficult time doing things like prepping meals, getting dressed, or taking a bath, you could consider the option to have additional help around the house.
This would still provide them with some security of being in their own homes while allowing them to do important tasks. Some options would include:
Home health aide –
A home health aide is a trained medical professional that can come to the home. They are trained to help seniors with preexisting conditions or otherwise to complete challenging tasks like meal prep, taking medications, bathing, and getting dressed.
They can come on a full or part-time basis fitting into everyone’s schedule. Since they’d be coming to your parent’s home, its often a bit easier to convince them to receive the help.
Family members –
If you can’t afford a home health aide, you could consider asking other friends and family members to help out. Depending on your schedules you could coordinate so that your parents always have someone nearby should something go wrong or they need assistance.
Your parents might feel a bit more comfortable with people they know and love caring for them.
Talking About Nursing Homes
If your parents are ill, disabled, or require a lot of help during the day and your schedule or home does not allow for them to stay with you, the only other option would be to place them in a nursing home. Often a sensitive matter, it is a good idea to not only talk to your parents about it first but to allow them to be a part of the process of finding the right nursing home. This will make the decision easier in the end.
You know that your parents are going to get older, but when they start to lose their independence and need to rely on you more the transition can be a lot to deal with. It is imperative to explore all of your options when keeping your aging loved ones safe.
Most importantly, allow them to be part of the process the entire time to avoid frustration and animosity. Though it may seem like a hard pill to swallow at the moment, there are a ton of resources out there to make this entire process a lot easier to handle.
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