Providing quality elderly care for your aging parent can improve their health and quality of life. You need to assess your parents’ needs to know the right steps to take when offering them care. Here are some tips on how you can care for your elderly parent:
Visit Often
Your parent may feel isolated if they live alone. This can lead to depression and affect their health, especially if they’re already dealing with an illness. To prevent such complications, try visiting them as much as you can. Give them updates on your life, and listen to theirs, as this helps to foster a strong relationship.
Visiting allows you to identify the tasks your parents may need help with, such as cooking, bathing, doing the laundry, or running errands. This can help you determine the type of care they need and when they most need help.
Make Some Home Modifications
As people age, doing tasks like walking up the stairs or sitting on the toilet without help can be difficult because the human body becomes weaker. You can care for your elderly parent by making modifications that can make these tasks easier. You can install a raised toilet to make going to the bathroom easier and a ramp to make moving with a walker up the stairs more manageable.
Identify potential safety hazards and fix them to prevent accidents. You can assess their house’s lighting to confirm it’s bright enough, install handrails in the bathroom and put non-skid marks in slippery areas of the house.
Enlist the Help of Elderly Care Professionals
Juggling your life and caring for your loved one can be physically and emotionally draining. Elderly care professionals can care for your loved one whenever you’re busy or need rest. They can help with housekeeping, cooking, toileting, and errands, and even offer companionship when you’re unavailable.
Create a schedule that meets your loved one’s needs. You can ask for daytime caregivers if your loved one only needs help with a few tasks or around-the-clock caregivers if they need help with everything. Maintain good communication with the professionals you hire so you can know how your loved one is doing at all times.
Use Technology
Keeping in touch with your loved one physically can be difficult if you live in different locations. You can use technology to keep a close eye on them and monitor their progress. With their permission, install cameras and motion sensors so you know when they need immediate help.
A medical alert system can inform relevant parties when your parent needs assistance. They only have to press a button to alert medical professionals or emergency personnel when in distress. Convince your parent to always wear their medical alert system, in case an accident occurs.
Encourage Social Inclusion
Isolation can be a cause of psychological distress among the elderly because it makes them feel disconnected from society. You can help with your loved one’s emotional well-being by arranging for them to interact with your family members or other members of the community. Arranging regular family dinners and bingo games is a great way to start. Make sure they can connect with people in similar situations as their own.
Care for Your Loved One
Caring for your elderly parent can enhance their comfort and happiness and improve their overall well-being. You can provide quality care by spending time with them, fixing potential hazards around their home, and using technology to keep an eye on them. An elderly care professional can handle most of the tasks your loved one needs help with if you are unable to meet their needs on your own.
