My parents are getting older and more and more they have medical problems, more and more I think about their care as they age. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not worried like it’s not something I plan to do or want to do, because I want my parents to live long, healthy lives, but I think about it because I have six siblings and four of us have our own families. I often think about how we would come together to make sure our parents were taken care of when they are older.
In-Home Care for Elderly
There are lots of different things to consider when caring for elderly parents. It can be very hard emotionally and financially to care for parents long term. There are lots of different companies that can help with preparing for some of those expenses. Long term health insurance is one option to help with keeping to cost of medical bills lower. Making sure they keep life insurance both term and whole life policies are great options to have to ensure help is there when you need it the most.
When considering taking on the care of a parent, do research to see if it’s something you can manage on your own. If you need additional assistance to look into programs for in-home help. There are programs that range from basic in-home nurses for less complex situations to palliative nurses for more advanced illnesses that require specialized care you may not be able to perform on your own.
Adapting Your Home
To care for your parents you may need to adapt your current home to better accommodate your patient. Regardless of what changes you make to your home to make it better suited for the person in your care, there are ways to still keep your home feeling like your home. You can find ways to add in swanky pieces from designers like SUNPAN along with the items needed to provide the care you need. Try to keep the area feeling as normal as possible and not have it feeling or looking like a hospital or space for someone who’s sick.
Self-Care for Caregivers
As a caregiver, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself. It’s easy to burn out when caring for elderly parents. It takes a toll on you and can sometimes stretch you in many directions. Remember to take some time to care for your own self. Whether it’s taking a night off to relax and spend some time alone, going out for a movie or dinner, enjoying a glass of wine or even an espresso at home. Even picking up a special bag of coffee to enjoy each morning can help, learn more about some specialty coffees you can purchase if you like coffee.
The smallest things can help with helping you reset and refill to go back to caring for your loved one. Once you take on the task of caregiver, be sure to not overwhelm yourself and know when to bring in outside assistance.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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