Thursday 3 May 2012

Making the Best Choice in Care for the Aged

By Gnifrus Urquart


While it may be a fact of life that most people choose to ignore, the truth is that everyone is going to get old sooner or later, if they are lucky. Part of being younger and able-bodied is a responsibility to provide the best care possible for elderly relatives, be they parents or grandparents, and sometimes it can be difficult to admit that someone you love and admire needs a bit of extra help. However, simple steps can ensure that everyone remains happy, healthy, and independent.

A major concern for most adult-age children is the well-being of their parents, especially as parents start to take on the role of children and children begin to adapt to the role of caregiver. While it can be very emotionally draining to watch one's parents need help with tasks that they were initially very much capable of handling, this change in life does not need to cause the level of concern that it often does.

After admitting that one's parents are in need of assistance, it can be a little heartbreaking to start taking the steps necessary to provide the best level of care. Though this is tough, it is essential. The best care possible is only an option after someone admits that it is time to do something for his or her aged relatives, and this is also an important part of the human experience.

Often times, parents have already started thinking about this, and thus have made their own arrangements, whether with finances, pensions, or even caretakers. Be sure to always have an open line of communication with your elderly parents, and make sure that their own arrangements are providing the level of assistance that is needed. Keeping their own choices as part of the overall plan will also continue the most important factor: that they feel secure and somewhat in control of their own life and life changes.

The second-best choice for optimal care of elderly relatives is making space in one's home to house them. While this might require a lot of logistical and emotional adjustment, the truth is, people fare better when around those who love them. Preparing a room on a ground floor close to a bathroom is the best step, followed by the inclusion of things that make one's elderly relative feel at home, like personal effects and photographs. If moving an elderly relative into your own home, be sure to allow them to feel as though their space is there own.

While this is often an excellent choice, sometimes parents function better in their own house, especially if they are accustomed to living independently after the death of a spouse. The best step in making sure that everything is well and okay if your aged parent lives far from home is to participate in the process for hiring around-the-care help. This way, both you and your parent feel as though there is the safety net in place that needs to be, and that it makes sense for he or she to remain at home, because home is still a safe and manageable environment. To determine if this is a viable option, talking to your parent's physician is a crucial and helpful step in the process.

If moving a relative into one's house, a number of changes may be required to optimize safety and security. Be sure that there is some way of your elderly relative getting in touch with either you or emergency workers, either via phone or through an alarm system that will alert fire units and medical personnel. This will make leaving an elderly relative home alone a lot less stressful, as well as ultimately safer.

It sometimes becomes too easy to slip into a mode where the only concern is for safety, but remember emotions are equally important. Giving an elderly relative the feeling of independence and ownership in whatever living situation is best is the most important step towards their feeling healthy, happy, and safe.




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