As we get older, so too do our loved ones. If you have parents or other loved ones who are starting to struggle to take care of themselves due to their age, you might be wondering just what you can do to help. These are the same people who had sleepless nights because of us, who fretted and worried, who took care of us, and who – most importantly of all – loved us and still love us unconditionally. The least we can do is help them live more comfortably if it is in our power.
One option, of course, is for the senior person to go live in a care home or nursing home. Yet this can be problematic for several reasons. Perhaps it’s too expensive, or maybe they would prefer to stay at home and don’t want to move away from everything they know. You might even have tried it in the past and had an issue that resulted in needing nursing home abuse attorneys devoted to your best interests.
If a nursing home is not something you want to consider, here are some other options for taking care of your senior loved ones in the best way.
Get Help
The first thing to remember when you want to help someone who is older and who may require more assistance than you can give or than you realize is that you must ask for help. You cannot do everything by yourself, even if you desperately want to. This is especially true if you have a family of your own to take care of and/or a job to get to, but even if you move in with the older person and quit your job to help them, you’ll still need help. It’s hard work taking care of someone else.
The help can come in many forms, including:
- Medical assistance such as a nurse
- Someone to run errands or sit with your loved one while you do so
- Someone to take care of them when you need a break – the importance of this should not be underestimated as unless you are at one hundred percent, you won’t be able to take proper care of the ones you love
- Someone who will check in on them regularly when you can’t be there (perhaps because you live a long way away, for example)
One of the best ways to take care of your senior loved ones while obtaining peace of mind is to use senior care services. This ensures that you can continue taking care of your own responsibilities without needing to worry about your senior loved ones. While it may take a bit of time to find a suitable caregiver that suits your needs, it’s worth doing extra research and vetting potential candidates beforehand. This ensures that your senior loved ones have a chance to get to know the caregiver and they can form an opinion before you decide to hire them for the long term. If you skip this vetting process, then you may end up hiring someone that your senior loved one doesn’t like being around and it could lead to a poor relationship.
Use Technology
You should also try to make as much use of technology as possible when it comes to taking care of the ones you love. Depending on the person in question, helping them to obtain and set up a smartphone could be perfect; they will be able to use video calling, and there are plenty of apps to keep them occupied, or that will help them in their day to day lives. They might even like to use social media to keep them up to date with family and friends.
You might also want to install cameras within their home (with their permission, of course). These could be motion-sensor cameras, and if you don’t see any movement for a while, you can make sure someone checks in, in case they have fallen and hurt themselves, for example. A video doorbell for security can also help them to feel more comfortable in their homes, especially if they live alone.
