As our parents get older, they can often depend on us more than we depend on them. This isn’t always the case – some people are lucky in old age and can remain independent until the day they die. However, for others, health problems and social isolation can make it hard to cope by oneself. To make sure that your aging parents are looked after, here are several things that you can do.
Visit your parents regularly
Many of us lead busy lives, but that shouldn’t mean that we can’t still find time to talk to our parents.
A lot of people get lonely in old age. Friends, siblings and spouses can die, leaving fewer people to talk to. To add to this, a lack of mobility due to deteriorating physical health can make it hard to go out and meet people. Many older people lose the ability to drive and then the ability to walk. They then end up getting stuck inside with no-one to talk to.
Visiting your parents regularly can help to ensure that they’re getting social interaction. It can also be important for checking up on their condition to ensure that they’re coping.
Regular visits aren’t always possible if they don’t live nearby. In these cases, you should try to supplement occasional visits with phone calls and other forms of communication. That said, visiting them will give you the best idea of how they are managing.
Help them to get out of the house
Getting out and about can be a struggle for some people when they are older. Simply walking to the shop can be physically exhausting or painful for those with mobility issues.
If your parents suffer from such issues, it could be worth planning an outing to accompany your visit. This could be something as simple as a trip to the shops or something more elaborate such as a meal out or a day out. If you live nearby, you may be able to help with these outings more regularly and possibly even help parents attend clubs so that they get to socialize.
Teach your parents how to use tech
Some older people are reluctant to adopt new technology, but in many cases this new technology could help them to maintain a sense of independence.
There are many online forms of communication such as emailing, video-calling and social media, which can help your parents to remain social at home. If your parents aren’t able to use any of this technology, it could be worth teaching them how to use it (video-calling could be a way of maintaining face-to-face interaction if visiting regularly is too difficult, whilst social media could help your parents connect with other relatives and friends).
There could also be other technology to introduce to help with independence. Smart technology and voice command technology is growing in popularity as a way of helping older people to stay independent at home – this can allow older people to operate heating, lighting and other elements of their home using only their voice.
Mobility scooters meanwhile could also be worth encouraging for those that struggle with walking. These could make going out and about much easier, which could allow your parents a greater sense of freedom.
Know when to look into professional care
It’s possible that parents may need someone there to offer more hands-on care. This may include helping your parents to wash and dress or helping with household tasks.
Taking on the role of carer yourself could be an option. This may require you to live locally and have enough free time to pop round regularly. Some people find it easier to move their parents in with them – this will require a spare bedroom and you may need to make other improvements to your home to make it disability-friendly.
If you don’t have the time or patience to provide care for them yourself, another option could be to hire at-home carers to visit them regularly and look after their needs. Some parents may even prefer this as they don’t feel they’re being a burden to you and it allows them to stay in their home. It can however be a more expensive option and you need to be sure that you hire a carer that you can trust. Interviewing multiple carers from different companies and comparing prices could be worthwhile.
There is then the option of a nursing home. This may be necessary for aging parents that require full-time care around the clock. Nursing homes have their drawbacks – they can often be the most expensive form of care and many people feel they are giving up on their parents by putting them in a home (although it can often be the best place for them). Tales of nursing home abuse can also be a concern for many people – whilst these homes exist, you can avoid them by doing your research and visiting your parents regularly to check on conditions. Nursing homes can also be used for respite for a week or two if you usually look after your parents.
Explore your financial options
Getting the best care for your parents will cost you money. It’s important to explore your financial options so that you’re able to afford the best care.
When it comes to caring for parents yourself, there could be federal and state benefits available that you can take advantage of to provide you with the income you need. As for affording carers and care home payments, there may be charities that can provide some financial assistance.
Your parents may also have money stored away that they don’t mind using to pay for their care. You may also want to ensure that they are claiming all the benefits they deserve – this could include benefits for disabilities and grants to cover energy bills in winter.
