Every-Day Routines
Choosing among the myriad options available to care for a loved one may leave you with more questions than answers. Home care services are the appropriate choice when a person prefers to maintain independent living by remaining in the comfort and privacy of home, but still needs the kind of ongoing care that can no longer effectively be provided by family and friends.
Whether it's an elderly relative who requires services as her capabilities diminish, a recuperating patient who temporarily needs assistance until fully recovered, or a terminally ill loved one who wishes to maintain dignity at the end of life, choosing compassionate and experienced home care can make the difference between living a joyful life, and enduring a stress-filled existence.
Does it make sense for dad to remain in his house when walking the stairs makes laundry an impossible task?
What happens if grandma falls? She seems so fragile. What can I do to prevent a fall?
Will mom be lonely while I'm at work all day? Who can she talk to?
Is dad eating properly now that mom is gone? How can I Caring for an aging parent or friend is often a balancing act. Our elderly parents deserve our time, energy and assistance, yet family caregivers may also be working at full time jobs, raising children, and taking care of their own homes, sometimes far away. The first step in providing loving assistance to Mom or Dad requires a practical look at daily routines that might leave your loved ones vulnerable. Consider these ideas to make life easier for both of you:
Failing eyesight and hearing can cause confusion. Make sure that household cleaners, chemicals and medications are labeled with large, bold letters. Install a phone with oversized numbers. Provide amplifiers for phones, televisions and alarm systems, if possible.
Keep a list of your parent’s medications, health care issues, allergies and insurance on a card in your wallet. That way, if you’re called and asked for information, you have it at your fingertips. Call the local police department in your parent’s home town and let them know that you have an elderly mother or father who lives alone. Often they’ll make a special effort to check on them from time to time.
Remember that falls can be catastrophic in old age: remove throw rugs, use non-slip wax on floors, and clear rooms of clutter and small objects like footstools, electrical cords and magazine baskets.
Place portable phones in several convenient places in the house.
Find a barber or hairdresser who will make house calls, if it’s difficult for your parent to get out. Looking good and feeling good are often related.
Clearly mark the OFF position on the dials of a gas range with colored tape so there won’t be a mistake.
It’s important for everyone to do new things. Offer to take your parent to a play, a museum exhibit or sign them up for an oil painting class. Quality of life can be greatly improved by little acts of love.
Touch means a lot. Rub your dad’s shoulders, hold your mom’s hand, offer to brush her hair.
As your parents age, remember to look inside for the person they were when they were young. While you’re feeling stress and worry over your parent, often they’re feeling the burden of helplessness, loss of control and anxiety over being a burden to you. Get help when you need it, and don’t let guilt rob you of your special memories.find the time to stop by every day?