We know that having elderly loved ones who need a special care regularly requires a great deal of time and effort. As much we wanted to provide all their needs, we are pre-occupied with other matters like our job to earn money and taking care of our own family. This is why in most situations like this; we need help or service from other people for us to be able to cope with everything.
Most of our elderly parents prefer to stay at home rather than moving to any care center. Staying at home keeps their independence, they feel safe, and they can maintain their socializing within the community that they comfortable with and with their family and friends. They don’t have to undergo any adjustment when moving to any facility that is away from home. This also means that as a family member, we need to ensure that they can move around easily and every part of the house is safe.
Taking care of an elderly parent is not that easy to accomplish every day because it needs a lot of attention, care, and support. It also needs to be discussed among other family members since they need to make some adjustments as well.
Is Your Parent’s Home Safe Enough for them?
Since our elderly parents are becoming less capable of taking care of their place, the first thing that we need to check is if their place is safe. We need to get rid of the safety hazards that may cause danger to our elderly parents.
We can start to check the lowest part of the house. Check if there are loose rugs and clutter on the floor that may cause them to fall. We need to make sure that there will be no safety hazards that may cause them to hurt themselves. How about the stairs? Can they easily climb or do they need to have a stairlift installed? Smoke detectors and electrical cords have to be checked if they are installed and working properly especially the carbon monoxide monitoring system. Avoid placing cords under carpets since this can be very risky to the elderlies. Grab bars are also very important to your elderly parents because it helps them to get in or out of the shower or the bathtub. They may not need them for now but it will help them later on.
Lights at Night
As we get older, our eyesight is becoming poor and this is one of the causes why our elderly parents always at risk. We need to make sure that they won’t get terrified at night by putting enough lighting inside their home. They are terrified of dark because they think they may fall and get hurt if they don’t have sufficient lighting. To resolve this, you can simply place nightlights in different parts of the house especially in their bedroom, bathroom, hallways and other parts of the house where they usually go at nighttime.
Emergency Plans
Considering their conditions, your elderly parents need to have easy access to a telephone in case of an emergency. Make sure that it is easy for them to call when they need assistance if you’re not around. A mobile phone is one better option, however, make sure that they know how to use it. If you have landlines, it is better to have extensions in the bedroom and other areas where they can reach it easily. Though these options are effective for you to be able to monitor your parents when you’re away, however it is still best to visit them regularly and making sure that they feel you’re always there for them when you need them. You should always be aware when it comes to their medical history, as you must be able to provide this information to the health professionals when necessary.
Transporting Your Parent Around
Elderly people are required to have a regular checkup from their doctors. If you are not around to accompany them on their medical appointments, you can have your other family members to assist them. Aside from this, it is good for your elderly parents to go out regularly. A simple going to a supermarket will be helpful for them and that is why they need your help when it comes to their transportation.
Additional Care for your Parents
When the time comes that your parents can no longer perform the household chores on their own such as cleaning, bathing and preparing their meals, it would be more challenging for you every day. In this kind of situation, you have to give more time and effort to them which is sometimes not practical since you also the one who is taking care of your financials.
If you’re considering to get help from professional home care service, call us today and we’ll be pleased to provide you the best options we can offer. See our comprehensive range of professional services and we guarantee you that all your questions will be answered.
Call now at 331-281-0728.