Thoughtful Ways to Help Your Parents Age in Place

We all don’t like to see our parents aging and feeling helpless, so we do our best to make the right resources available as much as we can. As our parent’s age, one of the most critical issues concerning their wellbeing has to do with providing them with the best environment to enjoy the rest of their years. While many families consider nursing homes to be a better option, many aging parents prefer to age in place. If you have aging parents, are you yet to have the discussion concerning their preferences? And if they do decide to age in place,  are you concerned about their care while they live alone? Try the following tips to help your parents.

1)Find a senior caregiver

It can be challenging to take care of an aging parent’s daily health concerns, especially when they do not live with you. One way of easing the burden is by seeking a professional caregiver’s service, as most of them have more than enough experience taking care of adults aging in place. The most important thing is first to ensure that you have their approval before hiring a caregiver. Another great thing about this option is that it is comparatively easy for such caregivers, as most of them, like careasone.com, are available online. Additionally, it would be best to have a conversation with other family members to ensure that everyone agrees with the idea.

2)Handle all safety issues

Safety issues are of prime concern for adults aging in place. From the risk of falling to accidental self-poisoning, a senior adult living alone can be exposed to many dangers. According to experts, accidents at home are among the leading causes of death among aging adults. Therefore, it is essential to consider safety when making plans for your parents to age in place. You should ensure that anything that poses a potential safety threat is taken care of, even if it requires making significant changes to the home. Ensure that medications are appropriately labelled and stored as well.

3)Make plans for emergencies

Since it is difficult to keep a constant eye on parents aging in place, you need to ensure that you make plans for any form of an emergency. Emergencies happen in different ways – floods, tornados, earthquakes, inability to access medical care, etc. Therefore, you should discuss with your parents and rehearse the measures you put in place to tackle such emergencies. In addition to that, always ensure that there are at least three days’ worth of medication, food, and water supply.

4)You can’t do it all alone

Getting as much help as possible is vital in ensuring that your parents are well cared for, especially when they live far from you. Besides seeking the services of professional caregivers, you can also rely on trustworthy friends, neighbors, and other loved ones close to your parent’s home. These people will be an extension of your arms, eyes, and ears to help you not only care for your parents but also keep you updated on their health.