Did you know that there were more than 54 million people aged 65 years in the United States in 2019? If your parents are aging and you are feeling a bit overwhelmed about caring for an aging parent, you are in the right place. We have put together this short guide to share some tips to care for your elderly parents.
Keep reading to learn how to best handle this new chapter in your life.
1. What Are Their Needs?
First, you will want to take the time to assess your parent’s needs. This will help you feel less overwhelmed because you will have a clearer picture. Take a step back to understand how much help your parent needs in their everyday life.
Think about things such as their mobility, cognitive health, family support, home safety, personal hygiene, social interaction, and meal preparation. You want to know how much support they are currently getting and how much help they need to stay healthy and safe.
2. What Are Your Needs and Abilities?
Next, you have to think about where you are in your life. Before you take on the responsibility of taking care of your parents all by yourself take a step back and think about your own abilities and your situation.
Think about your current responsibilities, work, education, family, etc. Also, does your health allow you to physically take care of your parents? Is living with them something you can imagine or do you feel that it is best for them to live elsewhere?
If your schedule is very demanding or you are not 100% physically capable of taking care of them you might want to consider home care for independent living. This will ensure that your parents are safe and healthy and you are not stressed trying to juggle taking care of everything they need all by yourself.
3. Ask Your Parents
Do not make all of the decisions on your own, include them in the process because they have been taking care of themselves their entire lives, and more than likely they do not want to feel like they are losing control of their life. Including them in the decision-making process will help them see you as a partner instead of someone that is swooping in to make changes.
It is not uncommon for elderly parents to be a bit resistant and stubborn in the beginning because they might be feeling a bit down about themselves. Try not to force changes quickly as long as they are not in immediate danger and need help right away.
Feeling Confident About Caring for an Aging Parent?
We hope that now that you have our top tips about caring for an aging parent, you are feeling a bit less overwhelmed and more confident moving forward. This is an experience that will more than likely bring you and your parents closer together.
If you found this blog post useful you can keep browsing this section for more tips and tricks.