Your elderly parent is now relying on you to help take care of them. They no longer drive and they need help in other areas of their life, as well. It might be a different pace for you to take care of your elderly parent. With this being said, there are some things that you should consider when it comes to your elderly parent.
Housing
One of the things that you should consider when it comes to your elderly parent is their housing situation. It is usually best for elderly people to stay in their own house. If your elderly loved one can do this safely, even if they need help from caregivers, this might be the best choice for them, as well. However, if it is not safe enough for your parent to stay at their house, you might want to consider having them live with you or another family member. You can still have caregivers come to your house for them, if necessary.
Transportation
You might want to figure out transportation for your elderly parent, as well. Now that they don’t have a driver’s license or now that they can’t drive, they will need a way to go places. For instance, who is going to take them to the grocery store or to their bank? Who is going to drive them to appointments or to their friend’s house? One option that many family caregivers decide upon is to hire professional caregivers to drive their parent to where they need to go. This might be a choice that you make, as well.
Legal
You may need to figure out the legal aspects for your elderly parent, too. For example, is there an advanced directive set up for your elderly parent? Do they have a power of attorney? Do they have a will? Where are these documents kept, if they have them? It is important for you to know all these things. If you aren’t the one handling their legal matters, it is important to make sure whoever is handling them has all of this information.
Conclusion
These are some of the most important things to consider when it comes to your elderly parent. If you can figure out all these things, you can make sure your elderly parent is getting the care they deserve. You can also make sure that everything is set up in case of an emergency. If you aren’t sure of some of these areas, you or one of the caregivers can talk to your elderly parent about it.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-signs-aging-parent-needs-help
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring caregivers in Palo Alto, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 317-4969.
