Do your elderly parents require assistance for staying safe as well as healthy at home? You may not be aware of how to take care of the situation. If you are able to figure out their requirements, understand the options along with make decisions it will be overwhelming. Be focussed on something strong and it will make you feel that you are having a good hold on the situation. So by using the below mentioned 7 steps you will be taking care of elderly parents in India and thus helping them to stay healthy and safe in their homes.
Understand the need of your parents: As you are unsure of what actually should be done, if take care of your parents it will make you feel great. Solve this problem and get an idea of the extent of assistance your parent will require with daily life. The main areas to focus on are:
- Support from family
- Safety in home
- Medical requirements
- Mobility
- Cognitive health
- Personal sense of hygiene
- Preparation of meals
- Social interaction
You need to examine how much help and support your parent is getting in the above categories and how much will they realistically require for staying not only safe but also healthy. Track their needs and find out what are the necessary services. If you stay far away from your parents and they have no family members living near them, it will become challenging for them to manage household chores and daily activities. Hiring a professional help from home care for elderly in their own homes, you will be making it easier for your parents to get medical help, manage daily activities, prepare meals and also have someone to give them company.
Prioritize their requirements and abilities: Do not make any assumption that you will be able to look after all needs of your parents on your own. Pause and think about your abilities and situation. Remember to go through these major points.
- Will your health let you to look after someone physically?
- Do you stay nearby to visit them frequently when they need?
- Will you prefer staying with them, in your house or theirs?
- Do you share a strong relationship with your parents that will allow you in spending much time together and never create negative feelings on both sides?
- Do you wish to learn ways of providing the care they need?
You will always want your elderly parents to stay healthy and safe. It would not be selfish if you are not the perfect person to provide them the care they need personally. You will act like a supportive and sensible kid if you look out for their safety and health and arrange the assistance they actually require.
Involve your parents in the entire process: No elderly parents want to lose any control of their lives mostly when they are concerned about giving away their independence. So it is vital that you involved your aged parents if you are planning for home care for elderly in their own homes. They may act stubborn at first and you need to discuss with them properly. Never try forcing any changes very fast. Until the situation is urgent, make them used to accept assistance by staying focussed on few critical requirements. Then slowly include until they get every assistance they truly require.
Have an idea of the financial condition: Regardless of anything, caring for an elderly senior will be costing money. Be prepared by estimating future costs. Consider all medical care they will be requiring, the expenses related to potential living condition and daily costs such as food, supplies for caregiving, modifications of home safety and so on. After you get an idea of the financial condition, you will become aware if they can afford all care they will require of whether they require financial assistance. It is always best to plan beforehand so they would never get caught up in any monetary crunch while taking care of elderly parents in India
Look after all safety basic in home: Any safety hazard in their home will make it easier for your aged parents to trip and fall and thus hurt themselves. If you prevent falls it will be going a long way in keeping your elderly parents independent for a long time. Some simple fixes are:
- Ensuring every floor along with walkways has no clutter, rugs and cords.
- Updating all lights so that every room look bright. Also make sure that switches are accessible easily.
- Making sure every appliance work properly is handy.
- Reducing the requirement to make use of step-tools or bending down low.
Ensure they can easily communicate: Your parents must be able to call for any help and have touch with near and dear ones. Other than a safety concern, loneliness and isolation will create a serious effect on their overall health negatively. Be sure that they can easily use their phones and it is accessible easily.
Browse through all elderly care options: There are various options to look for and trust when taking care of elderly parents in India. Some of them are stated below:
- You can hire an in-home caregiver privately or from a renowned home care agency. They will be taking caring of your elderly parents in home.
- A geriatric care manager will be acting as a consultant and guiding you and manage every aspect to care for your aged parents. You will be saving both your precious time and money with their experience.
- If your elderly parents are finding it difficult to live to do everything all by themself in their home or they require help 24/7 then assisted living or other housing options for elderly seniors will be the perfect choice.
- Geriatricians have specialized to care for elderly seniors and come with a lot of experience to treat people who have dementia, various severe health issues and conditions that mainly affect aged seniors.
At Care4parents, we offer in-home care for elderly seniors. We have been taking care of elderly parents in India for a long time and thus assuring kids who stay away from their parents that they are in good health and their safety is not compromised.