Family is everything, and as our loved ones age into their golden senior years, seeking the right care and help for their needs is crucial. Everything from medication management and mobility assistance to encouraging a productive and happy environment is all to consider. With 1.72 million eligible Medicare beneficiaries choosing hospice care in 2020, it’s important to know what the next steps are with your elderly loved ones. In this post, we discuss some valuable aspects of caring for your elderly loved one.
1. Senior Care
There are different types of elderly care that family members can choose. There’s a variety ranging from independent living with an occasional visit from a care worker to end-of-life and palliative treatment.
In-home elderly care allows the family to have their elderly parents live with them and be in their care while a nurse visits during the week. In-home elderly care is beneficial for patients with Alzheimer’s who needs supervision and for those undergoing recovery from surgery. In-home care is a wonderful benefit since it allows your elderly parent to lead a somewhat independent life.
2. Personal Care Assistance
Personal care covers various assistance tailored to the individual’s needs. The care worker may assist with bathing needs, feeding, getting dressed, going outdoors and to the shops, medication management, and daily living needs as needed by the elderly. Personal care may require more assistance on a 24/7 basis at times for some individuals. Check out this company to learn which plan will cover this.
3. Companionship
Companionship is essential for anyone and more so for a senior person. Seniors living alone are at higher risk of becoming depressed and even developing mental conditions due to being alone. When there’s a caregiver companion around during the daytime to keep them company, talk to them and spend time with them, it improves their morale and may lower the risk of developing mental conditions. Caregiver companions may be expensive but are a very good option, especially if your elderly loved one is still independent and living alone.
4. Adult Day Care
An adult day care is a great option again for seniors who don’t need assistance all the time. They can socialize and meet with other seniors, and some develop good friendships along the way, which is wonderful and therapeutic. There are also various group activities for them to partake in that are stimulating and can increase their happiness more so than would be the case if they were left by themselves. At elderly day care facilities, emergency medical staff are on standby to assist if needed and staff to help with routine health needs during their stay.
5. Safe Environment
To make sure that your elderly loved one doesn’t risk falling and getting hurt, safety is critical wherever they live. If they’re living with you, ensure you cater to their mobility and all other needs. For instance, when it comes to safety, take extra care that the floor has open space to walk with no tripping hazards. Installing ramps for wheelchair access, staircase chairs, and railings to hold onto while walking or standing in certain places will reduce risking a fall.
6. Assets and Wills
There are three main steps when planning your estate; prepare essential documents, transfer your assets, and set up power of attorney and healthcare directives. Even if you don’t know the contents of your parents will, you can help them finalize things before they depart one day.
40% of people are unaware of the contents of their parents’ will. This is so because many people draft their wills without informing their families. Be sure to keep yourself informed about what your parent is doing, especially if they are much older. They may need assistance throughout the process, so be prepared to help!
Furthermore, while in your care or at the elderly care facility, your loved one should eat a balanced diet, exercise passively, hydrate, and get plenty of rest. No matter where you’re loved one is spending their golden years, be sure to keep them safe, loved, and happy.