7 Tips to Help Your Elderly Parents Age in Place: One of the best things we can do for our elderly loved ones is to help them age in place, which means allowing them to stay in their own home as long as possible. This can be a challenge, but it can be done with planning and strategizing. This blog post will discuss 7 tips to help your elderly parents age in place.
The first step is to have a conversation with your aging parents about their wishes. This includes discussing whether they want to stay in their home and not move to a retirement community or assisted living facility. Your parents need to be as involved as possible in the decision-making process. As adult children help them by gathering information and providing them with options, but ultimately, it’s up to them what they want to do.
Tip #01: Assess the Situation and Make Necessary Changes
Once you know your parents’ wishes, it’s time to assess the situation and make the necessary care plan. If their health conditions permit them to live independently, you can arrange for the quality of life older adults need.
You may need to modify their homes required for senior living, such as installing handrails or a wheelchair ramp if they have limited mobility due to health issues. Suppose you are unsure of the costs involved approach a financial advisor for detailed planning.
Tip #02: Help Them Stay Active and Engaged
One of the best ways to help your parents age in place is by helping them stay active and engaged. This means encouraging them to participate in activities they enjoy, whether it’s going for walks, playing cards or puzzles, or taking part in social events. Staying active and engaged will help keep them mentally and physically healthy.
Tip #03: Manage Their Medications
Another important thing to manage as your parents age is their health care. This includes ensuring they take the right medications and doses and keeping track of refills. It’s also important to watch for potential interactions between medications. If you’re not sure how to manage your parents’ medications, ask their doctor for medical care advice.
Tip #04: Get Organized
One of the most important things you can do is to get organized. This means creating a plan and setting up a system to help you stay top of things. You’ll need to develop a schedule for your parents, including everything from doctor appointments to medication schedules. It would help if you also created a checklist of daily tasks that your parents can follow to make sure they’re staying on track.
Tip #05 : Make their Home Safe
Another important thing to consider is making your parents’ home a fall-free house. This includes removing any tripping hazards, installing grab bars in the bathroom, and adding ramps if necessary. It’s also important to have an emergency plan in place if something happens to one of your parents. This includes having a list of phone numbers for doctors and other important people they may need to contact if there’s an emergency.
Tip #06: Give Them Some Space
Even though you want to be as helpful as possible, it’s also important that you give your parents some space. It can be difficult at times but try not to hover too much or take over everything because this will make them feel smothered and uncomfortable with being helped by others.
Helping someone else is a rewarding feeling, but be sure to give them space when they need it. It would help if you still offered assistance when needed, but be sure to give them their space as well.
Tip #07: Stay Positive!
The most important thing you can do is stay positive. This is a difficult time for both you and your parents, so it’s important to have a positive attitude. Be supportive and encouraging, and let them know that you’re there for them no matter what. Consider becoming part of a local caregivers support group to get some love and emotional support for yourself.
Aging in place means helping our elderly loved ones with things like medication management, staying active and engaged, and making necessary changes to their home or living situation. These are just some of the ways we can help our loved ones age gracefully and comfortably in their own home. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments below!
Home Care Powered by AUAF — Elderly Care Services
Our in-home caregivers are trained to meet your loved one’s needs in various tasks. We have been a trusted home care agency for over 25 years. Above all, Home Care Powered by AUAF can provide care for your loved ones to lead a more comfortable and rewarding life. We are dedicated to providing home care services to all of our communities, and we strive to reach underrepresented groups in-home care.
If caregiving for an elderly family member takes time away from your job, consider becoming a paid caregiver.
Call us today at 312-971-6328 and ask how Home Care Powered by AUAF can help your family’s care needs.