There comes a time when we have to accept that as we are aging, as too are our parents. What becomes difficult to cope with is when we begin to notice that our parents’ physical or mental well-being is deteriorating. As caring children, we must begin to assess elder care options for our parents and decide what the best next step is to ensure our parents’ needs are met.
Certain factors must be assessed when deciding if allowing your parents to stay at home is practical and safe. First you must review the accessibility in their home and from their home to public places. Things to consider: presence of stairs, home maintenance requirements, distance to public places like the grocery store, bank, or pharmacy, and availability of safe public transportation. Having a close network of family and friends nearby, in case of emergencies, and to prevent them from developing depression from being alone is also important. Finally, you must take into account their medical conditions and financial situation. Determine what physical or mental conditions are present and/or may develop or worsen and how you plan to support them as these conditions continue. Establish a budget for care based on what your parents can afford and what the family may be willing to contribute.
After you’ve reviewed the above, you can better assess what services will be right for your parents. Home care services allow you to pay certified/licensed professionals to come to your parents’ home as needed to help them with their daily activities. These services can include household maintenance and cleaning, transportation or personal and limited health care. Family members can struggle to provide proper care to their parents while trying to juggle their own jobs and children. When this happens, families become stressed and all involved may suffer. Home care services can alleviate the stress and you can make arrangements to only use the services that are needed and beyond what your family is able to provide.
Home care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
