Caregivers for seniors who are family members usually face resistance from the elder that may have to move into a nursing home/assisted living facility.
When you have a senior parent, your concern for their ability to maintain an independent lifestyle can be a huge worry. If you have an aging parent or grandparent you may see issues with their safety if continue to live independently. Now, if their spouse has passed on, you may worry about them being overcome by loneliness & depression. Another issue that caregivers for seniors have to think about is that hallways and doors of old homes are often not built to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs, the vision of your mom/dad, or grandparents falling & being unable to reach you for help is a scary thought. Then there’s the financial side of maintaining their home and paying the mortgage if it’s still active.
So, the question is whether you should try to help your aging parent with moving on to an assisted living facility or can things be worked out to create a safer living environment for them to stay in their home. The following are some compelling reasons to help them stay in the house they have lived in for so long if there are ways to overcome the problems:
- Studies have shown conclusively, that senior citizens who live in their own homes are happier & healthier.
- Your parents may have long standing friendships in the neighborhood that provide tremendous emotional support. Those same friends can look in on your parent from time to time to assure they are safe and doing well.
- Having the ability to get out in the yard, feed the birds, keep a pet or even tend a small garden has untold health benefits both mentally and physically for a senior citizen.
There are several steps that can be taken to provide for the unique needs of an aging adult, especially so if you want to help keep your loved one in their home. Here are a few ideas:
- Family and friends can take on the chores or upkeep of the home, yard work and repairs so that the home continues to remain safe and viable as a living space. This also reduces the expenses of home ownership.
- It is very likely that from a financial point of view, you can work with your parent/grandparent to reduce the costs of staying in their home. Now, if they still have a mortgage, the outstanding balance may be quite low but the payment still high. By working with the mortgage company, you may be able to refinance the loan to drop the payment considerably and make it more affordable than living in assisted living facility or a nursing home. You can also work with utilities companies and credit sources who may have programs in place to help seniors. By utilizing the resources already in place, you may be able to get your aging parents costs down to a reasonable range and help them establish a budget that allows them to live comfortably on social security and whatever retirement funds they have.
- Another great resource is to find a local In-Home Nursing Care company that provides seniors with caregivers that come into the home and help with chores/errands, help your loved one with daily activities so that they can stay active both at home and in their community, plus provide that much needed companionship seniors need. If your loved one chose to stay at home, it’s best to chose a company that is qualified to provide RN support, nutritional meal plans, home safety assessments and other health and safety services your loved one will need.
- Putting good technology to use will also help make it possible for your parents/grandparents to have quality care in the home. It provides the resources available to reach out to you or someone else in the event of an emergency. Technology like video livestreaming home devices and emergency call buttons do well at maintaining a level of safety and peace of mind so that seniors can live out the remainder of their years in their home where they are happy.
The key to making all of the above tips work is to ensure that you get your loved ones involved in the planning and process. Sitting down with them, you can review that keeping them at home is a shared project and that they should do all they can to make this work. They will be enthusiastic to make that kind of effort to be able to stay in the home they love so much.
If you live in the Knoxville, TN you can count on us. we provide caregivers for seniors with our extensive In-Home Care Services. Give us a call today to learn more about our services: (865) 332-5000 or visit us at www.yourhometeamcare.com