How to help your Senior loved one stay at home?

Written By: Troi Mack

Caring for the elderly for some is inevitable. You never know what road life may have you travel. At some point you may find yourself taking care of aging parents or elderly members in your family because a long term care facility may not be a path you want to travel for your loved one. Home may be the only option; would you be able to handle such a situation? If so how can you help your Senior loved one stay at home? There are many ways to make this transition easier while minimizing the risk and acknowledging the blessing.

Make changes in your home, make your Senior comfortable and safe. Their safety is key. Assist with mobility around the house. Make sure you consider the bathrooms, outdoors, access to doors and windows and remove all hazards. Provide a healthy and safe surrounding. Safety is the number one concern.

Maintain and develop and plan for your Senior’s specific needs. Care management for your Senior in the home is very important, it may involve and is not limited to getting your loved one in and out of the bed, medication reminders, light housekeeping, meal preparation and providing transportation. Your personal plan and customized care for your Senior will allow the Senior to live as comfortable as possible at home.

Find available resources to assist with your Senior staying at home. People in your neighborhood are valuable resources. Family, friends and neighbors are the biggest source for help with the elderly. Talk to those close to you and your Senior as this is one of the best ways in assisting with a way to get the help that you need for your loved one. Your community and local government provide useful resources as well as healthcare providers and social workers.

Make sure the financial burden will not affect your Senior. Their financial situation weighs into the decision. Take into consideration the cost of medical bills, food and household goods and transportation. Balance Senior care costs so that the out of pocket for caregiving services do not overwhelm and have an enormous impact on your Senior. Assist in budgeting what is needed so that your love can stay at home in enjoy peace without the financial stress.

Trying to help your Senior loved one stay at home tends to bring up a lot of different issues that people haven’t prepared to address. Plan ahead, think about the near future and what is needed, get the support and list the concerns as they arise. The point is to have your Senior stay as independent as possible and in a familiar environment that they know and love. It takes a bit of planning and assistance to achieve what is necessary to keep them with us. You and your Senior loved one don’t have to struggle to sort out the needs, be proactive and do the research so that the personal experience is less complicated.