You would be surprised to find out how many people would prefer to have their elderly parents move in with them instead of taking them to a caregiving facility. While the decision may seem like the most obvious option, there are many challenges that you may face. It is important to carefully plan and evaluate how you will be able to maneuver living with your elderly parent. Many factors need to be considered as well as changes that both of you may need to make. However, once everyone is on the same page, the arrangement can be satisfactory. Are you having an elderly parent move in with you? Keep on reading to find out what tips you can use to ease the process.
Prepare for Difficulties Ahead
Having an elderly parent move in with you can be a stressful yet rewarding experience. As a result, it is important to be prepared for any potential challenges that you may face as you care for them. The roles are reversed and there may be some reluctance on your parent’s part to follow the rules set forth in your home. This can create some minor to major disagreements that could potentially harm your relationship if left unchecked. Moreover, everything depends on the type of care that your elderly parent requires. For instance, the challenges may be amplified when you have to care for a parent who is suffering from memory loss or a chronic disease.
We have compiled some factors that could affect how you care for your elderly parent. Listed below are some of the things that you need to prepare for because they may be a challenge to maneuver.
Caring for anyone even an infant can be highly time-intensive. The number of hours that are spent taking care of an array of needs is insurmountable. If you still have to focus on personal daily living activities, this may put a lot of pressure on your schedule. It is important to try and find someone else who can help you, like a professional caregiver for example.
Studies suggest that more than 20% of caregivers have reported that their mental health declined from taking care of a loved one. Having an elderly parent move in with you means that you no longer have the time to take care of your mental well-being. This can lead to increased levels of stress as well as physical strain on you.
Caregiving puts a strain on your finances due to the number of unexpected medical and living costs that arise. Having an elderly parent move in with you means that your monthly expenses will change. If you have not planned for this part of the process, it may leave you in distress as well as in debt.
When you take the responsibility to care for your loved one, there is usually a lack of information about the process. As a result, many challenges are unplanned that arise and that could leave you sacrificing many aspects of your life. In most cases, finding affordable care as an alternative may be a challenge. Being informed about the possible challenges that having an elderly parent move in with you may cause can help to mitigate unforeseen consequences.
Get Your Home Inspected for Potential Dangers
Having an elderly parent move in with you means that you have to take the time to ensure that your home is free from common safety hazards. This is a crucial component of ensuring their wellbeing and preventing accidents. For instance, a lack of slip guards on carpets and rugs can potentially cause a very serious fall. If your parent uses a walking aid, you may want to consider securing your carpets and rugs from causing a tripping hazard.
Risk assessments conducted in adult care homes have highlighted that outdated appliances and building materials are amongst the hazardous things in a caregiving facility. It might be a good idea to repair and replace parts of your home that may potentially cause danger. Enlisting the services of roofing contractors to assess any structural damage can be beneficial. Taking preventative measures can save you a lot of money in the end.
Clean for a Healthy Home
Preventing and mitigating the spread of bacteria and viruses in your home is important if you are having an elderly parent move in with you. This means that you may have to focus your attention on minimizing toxins that are in your home. This is a valuable investment for anyone that is in your home. You have to invest in cleaning products and processes that are the least harmful to someone who may have a weakened immune system. Similarly, if you have to enlist the services of a cleaning company, you need to ensure that they have the necessary experience of cleaning spaces for the elderly.
You may need to ensure that your ventilation system is efficient by hiring ventilation system cleaners. Providing fresh air is an essential part of maintaining the health of an elderly parent. Many environmental factors can affect the quality of air in your home. This is why it is important to invest in an adequate ventilation system that you maintain regularly. Moreover, there are many benefits of a proper ventilation system such as controlling impurities, reducing temperatures, and preventing condensation.
Air regulation is a great way to have control over the flow of air in your home. However, too much fresh air can impact the costs of your monthly energy bills. As a result, controlling your air can help you control the expenses. Water is another significant natural resource that should be regulated and cleaned accordingly. If you live in an area that has issues with drinking water, investing in a water filtration system can be advantageous. An elderly person’s immune system is susceptible to many ailments that can be caused by bacteria and other living organisms found in drinking water. It is important to take all the necessary preventative measures to ensure that your parent’s health remains a top priority.
Prepare a Bedroom
If you are having an elderly parent move in with you, it means that you have thought about all the necessary changes that you will need to make in your home. This includes providing them with a bedroom that is suitable for their needs. This can include checking if your lighting installation is energy-efficient with improved durability. If your parent has limited mobility, you need to do an inventory to assess the location of their designated bedroom. Is it easy for them to move around in the bedroom? What about the types of doorknobs that you have installed? It is important to identify all the things that may become a challenge for your parent’s movement in their bedroom.
If you insist on redecorating the bedroom, make sure that you use practical decor that will not end up causing problems. Minimizing bedroom clutter is a good way to prevent any potentially hazardous accidents. Everything needs to be in line with safety measures, and this includes the type of bed that you choose to use. You have to ensure that the mattress you use does not exacerbate any pre-existing medical conditions.
Consider Your Elderly Parent’s Health Needs
When you decide to move in with your elderly parent, you need to ensure that you understand the type of medical conditions that they have. This will help you ascertain the best type of pain management services that you need to care for them. You need to be aware of any potential risks of the medications that they use. Most prescribed medications have side effects that can range from minor to severe. Moreover, they can cause the risk of developing dependency among older patients.
Health care needs vary according to the type of medical condition that your parent has to deal with. Are they recovering from oral surgery after dental extraction? Then you need to make sure that they follow the post-op instructions thoroughly. This includes making sure that they get optimal rest after the surgery and that they take their medication properly. Dental care is essential for people who are above the age of 65 years old, so you need to ensure that you provide your parent with extensive aftercare if they have had surgery and are moving in with you.
Be Ready to Help Your Parent Stay Organized
Combining careful planning with preemptive decisions can help to lessen the demands that having an elderly parent move in with you can have on your mental wellbeing. This can include helping your parent stay organized by ensuring that they keep a routine. Moreover, you can consider all contingencies. If they had surgery to fix a dental issue, you need to ensure that they go to the dentist regularly after that.
Talking with your parent to assess their needs can help you to manage their expectations and find a way to meet their needs. You may also have to keep track of their symptoms to find out if there are any new developments to watch out for. Moreover, keeping essential documents can help you in case there is an emergency.
Prepare Financially
Keeping your parent’s essential documents means that they probably have a problem with handling their responsibilities. It may also be the opportune time to start having a conversation about their finances. This is a good way to find out what they have planned and if they require the accounting service provider to help plan their financial affairs. It is advisable to receive written consent to be the designated family member who will take care of their finances. Figure out different approaches to institute new arrangements to handle the change in financial responsibilities.
Social Security is an ideal way to provide the elderly with their cash income. When a person reaches a certain age, their savings are most likely to get depleted. While many elders rely on family to provide for them financially, social security is a good measure to provide adequate social and economic protection for the elderly and unemployed. If there are any issues with awarding your elderly parents benefits, social security attorneys can help you to collect all the necessary documentation to support their case.
Purchase Some Fun Items to Help Your Parent Assimilate to Their New Home
Even if you have gone through everything that is listed above, you still cannot guarantee that assimilation will be easy after having an elderly parent move in with you. You need to be proactive in your approach and understand what other things you will need to effectively care for them. This can include purchasing fun items to help ease the assimilation process. If your parent has limited mobility, you may have to buy fun items such as board games and card games to allow them to participate without exerting much energy.
Exercising doesn’t have to be extreme, there are fun items such as Wii video games or exercise videos that can offer low-impact fitness. You can switch it up by buying them different sports clothing to help them feel comfortable while they work out a sweat. The important thing is that you make them feel welcome enough to not feel like they are imposing themselves in your space. Buy things that you can use to have pampered sessions at home or fun tools that make gardening fun. The list is endless, and it helps to know what your parent is interested in to make your home their home as well.
Having an elderly parent move in with you can be full of many challenges as well as positive outcomes. Ensuring that their health, finances, and physical movement are taken care of can help them make the adjustments easily. The situation is not ideal for everyone, especially if both of you have been accustomed to having your personal space. Once you have prepared for any possible eventualities, it can help to alleviate the stress that comes with changing your normal routine. It is important to be patient with your elderly parent and to help them navigate the changes to the best of your ability.
This may require some sacrifices on your part and dealing with stubborn behavior problems from time to time. However, maintaining your relationship is imperative. Communicating about any potential issues should be done with due consideration at all times. It’s also crucial to take care of your mental wellbeing during this period. So, don’t neglect taking care of yourself in the process because this may result in physical and emotional strain. Moreover, your finances need to accommodate these changes in your living arrangements. So, find ways to effectively make the move easy for everyone.