By Ewa Frydel, Owner

Aging in place is a wonderful and popular choice for many seniors.

Remaining in the home versus a nursing home or assisted living facility helps your aging loved one keep their independence. However, there are times when living at home requires more care and attention. Luckily there are many resources available to help your senior parent stay at home.

If you’re considering whether your mom or dad needs to have in-home care, you may be thinking of how you can help as a family caregiver.

Family caregivers have been around since the dawn of time. Caring for someone aging in your family is a time-honored tradition, however, today more adults are working full-time jobs and caring for their own children. It used to require a village to support the elderly while nowadays it comes down to one or two people. No one can tackle this job alone.

So what can you do?

First, determine if your senior in need even requires in-home care and how much.

It may be that they only need a little help right now, which you find is easily manageable with your schedule. Or you may discover your aging parent needs 24-hour care.

Most of the time, family caregivers notice the need for home care right away. This can help make the process less overwhelming for you and your aging loved one.

Try asking yourself these questions and make the appropriate observations:

• Does your senior have underlining health conditions?

• Do they struggle to keep up with daily living?

• Are they challenged or fearful to drive and leave the house?

• Do they have social engagements or are they isolated often?

• Are they taking their medication or are some days skipped?

• How’s the fridge look? Do you see fresh food stocked regularly?

• Are they bathing or keeping up with their hygienic routine?

More serious signs you can look for are:

-Signs of cognitive decline, like forgetting dates, where they’re at, medication, or people’s faces.

-Mobility, vision, and hearing issues, like struggling to keep balance, hearing the phone ring,  fallen furniture, and dents in vehicles.

In summary, every senior is different and requires unique and specialized skills.

Many caregivers are well-trained in multiple areas, like chronic illnesses, Alzheimer’s, and dementia, and personal care, like bathing, medications, and meal preparation.

It will be up to you, your family members, your parent’s doctor, and, don’t forget, your senior loved one. Get everyone involved when making the decision if home care is needed, and if so, how much care.

Can you and your siblings break down tasks and delegate responsibilities?

Can you hire an in-home caregiver to support you with meals and transportation, cleaning, and bathing?

Consider every detail of your senior’s health and do this regularly.

As they continue to age, your senior may be at more risk while aging in place. However, catching these signs early and taking action on caring for their needs now, will greatly reduce stress and help build a quality life. Be mindful of your senior’s safety and stay proactive in preventative care.

Applying this care and attention now will help you as a family caregiver and prevent burnout. It will also help prevent burnout for a hired in-home caregiver as well as your senior parent.

Speak to the right people. Contact your local support groups and find resources that help people like you and your senior’s needs. Get help and expertise from doctors, nurses, and caregivers to reap the most reward in caregiving at home.

First and foremost, your senior chose to age at home so they may live independently around familiar settings and faces. Do what you can now to protect their desire for a more meaningful life at home.

For more information on when to get home care for seniors, contact us.

We’re here to help!

Legal Disclaimer
This blog provides general information and discussions about knowing the right time to get home care and should not be construed as medical advice.