Taking care of an elderly parent or family member can be quite an emotionally complicated thing. It tends to come with many unexpected twists and turns and added responsibility that you might not feel ready or prepared for. This change can come about quite suddenly, but you do not need to fear or dread it.

Planning and equipping oneself and family on ways to help better care for your elderly loved ones will assist in this transitory time and keep you sane.

Make changes in the home

In the case that you plan on moving your elderly one into your home, it is important that you make a few changes to it beforehand. Big or small, these changes can make a big difference and save both of you a lot of time and unnecessary stress. The home space needs to be made more accessible.

Start by getting rid of excess furniture, removing clutter, and making sure that there are no loose wires or cables on the floors to trip over. Add grab bars in the bathroom and shower and non-skid mats for the bathroom and rest of the house. Get anti-scalding devices installed in their bathroom. You might think that all this may seem excessive, but keep in mind that you are doing these things to make the entire household more accessible and stay easy.

Give them space, but keep track in a dignified way

If your family member or elder would prefer to be in their own home alone, find a way to keep track of them. A phone is the easiest way to do this. A call every so often would put your mind at ease. For elders with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or any other conditions that make them prone to wandering, a GPS tracker could be a good or even necessary addition. There are plenty of GPS trackers for seniors. Find one that suits you as well as them.

Hire some help

If you find yourself living a bit far from your elders or have things that prevent you from visiting them as often as you would like, consider hiring a professional. The professionals at Arcare believe that it is important that the elderly are empowered if they should choose to continue living at home. There are a plethora of places that offer home care options. Should you be considering this, carry out careful research and find one that is best suited to what your loved one needs.

Visit them often

Generally, your elders look forward to seeing you and spending some time with you. The time you spend with family is important. A simple visit could lift their spirits quite a lot. When there, you will also have the opportunity to check the house and make sure that they are still managing.

Check that plants are watered and ensure that they do not have any bruises or other signs of a fall.

Consider building a relationship with their neighbours who could potentially keep an eye on things and call you in the case of an emergency.

Coordinate your care

Coordinate the different services assisting you and your loved one with care. Coordinating both formal and informal care will streamline issues and avoid confusion as much as possible. This is everyone from your elder’s primary care physician to someone who may come in weekly to clean the house.

Encourage regular exercise

Being physically active will keep them healthier and more robust. Ageing people don’t need to go to the gym, necessarily, but a walk around the park or a little jog will do. Encourage that they join a nearby sports club. This can be walking, hiking, tennis or even golf-club if they are a little more sporty. Activity keeps them social and gets them out of the house every so often. It could even make them feel better about themselves.

Be smart about the medication

This one is a bit tricky to monitor out of your home. It is common for the elderly to mix up their medication. The mistakes can be because of poor eyesight, drowsiness, memory loss, etc. The best thing to do is to label the different bottles boldly. Ensure that instructions are clear and consider even putting them in specific places, locating them quickly but lowering the chance of a mix-up.

This process can be quite stressful. Quality time is the best time. Don’t forget to have fun with each other. There are lots of people out there qualified to help you in this time of change. Both of you should just take it easy when adjusting to the changes. Old age is inevitable but doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience.

Additional resources:

• Keep elders safe with medical alert systems in place
• Ways that the elderly can adapt their homes to suit their needs
• Trends and predictions for the senior care industry in 2021