What to Do When Your Elderly Parents Need Help

The aging process is something that no one on the planet can avoid. It doesn’t matter your background, how you lead your life, or even if you’re the world’s richest person; the aging process happens to everyone.

As you’ve grown up through the years, you will undoubtedly notice some changes happening with your parents. For example, they might not have the energy or strength to do certain things that they could when they were younger.

If you’ve noticed that your elderly parents need more help with things at home these days, here are some steps you can take to ensure they get the right support:

Assessing Their Needs

The first thing you should do is determine what help and support your parents need in their daily lives. For instance, it might involve help for doing the laundry and cleaning the dishes, or they might need live in care if they struggle to do most things by themselves.

Your parents may not necessarily tell you what they need help with, either because they forget or feel embarrassed to tell you, so it’s essential to show them that you care and are happy to help.

Part of their needs assessment should include looking at things around their home that might be unsafe for them if they have limited mobility. After all: the last thing you want to happen is for your parents to injure themselves if they’re unsteady on their feet.

Think About Your Needs and Abilities

You will undoubtedly have your own life to lead, and you may have a family of your own at home (or a dog). With that in mind, you should think about how much help and support you can personally offer and areas where you will need assistance from other caregivers.

Don’t assume that you can do everything alone. Your parents will understand that fact, so you shouldn’t put any undue pressure on yourself. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it.

Include Your Parents in the Process

One thing you should never do is make all the decisions for your parents. They might be elderly, but they’re still adults, and you should respect their wishes. That’s why it’s crucial to include them in the caregiving process.

Your parents will be keen to lead their lives independently as much as possible, so that’s a fact you should keep in mind when thinking of how you or other people can help them with their daily lives.

Review Their Financial Situation

One last point to consider is whether your parents can afford the extra expenses associated with things like aged care or adaptions to their home. You might feel obliged to cover those additional costs yourself; however, you need to be realistic.

If they don’t have a lot of money, they could apply for financial aid from the government. Examples like government programs and Medicaid can go a long way towards covering their extra expenses.

Otherwise, they might need to discuss the prospect of selling their home and downsizing to pay for their extra care.