Essential Steps: Caring for the Elderly at Home

It is not uncommon to make a promise that you have every intention to keep but realize you don't know how to do it. Ensuring your aging mom or dad can live in their home for as long as possible to avoid the dreaded 'old folks’ home' is one of those promises. Where do you start? How do you know you can keep an eye on them when you have a career and growing family? You are in good company. Aging in place is popular. That means you have resources, including using the services of a personal support worker to keep Mom and Dad at home.

5 Tips to Prepare You for Senior Care

It is never too early to put a plan in place for a loved one to be able to stay in their home as they grow older. To better prepare you for this next stage in your parents’ lives, here are five tips:

1. Gain a clear understanding of how much help is needed. You might think you know what Mom needs, but you may not be fully informed. As you handle caregiver duties, list what you do daily, weekly, and monthly for her. Look at the times of day she needs help. After a week, you will better understand what kind and hoe much help is required.
2. Take a realistic view of what you can do. You need to be realistic about what you need to handle and what you can delegate. Look at all the tasks you do and the time it takes to get them done properly. Now, consider how much you can do realistically without neglecting your own health. If not, you will get on a fast track to burnout and be useless to everyone.
3. Invest in help with caregiving. Look at the available options for giving your seniors what they need based on the list you made, with an eye on your health and self-care. You might need to enrol Dad in an adult day program or hire in-home personal care. Consider volunteer organizations for companionship opportunities. Hire a housekeeper or pay your children to clean grandma's house.
4. Ask other family members to pitch in. Others may not realize you need help, especially if you never ask. Check your list. Can your sister cook for Mom a couple of times a week? Can your brother take Dad to his doctor's appointments? The help will look different based on family dynamics, but with open, honest conversations and flexibility, you can get the help you seek.
5. Look for financial assistance. You will incur costs as you perform your caregiving duties. For example, research ways to decrease your financial pressure through government or private programs and prescription drug discount programs.

Reliable Support to Keep Your Senior Living at Home

You know you want to make the changes required to allow your parent to stay home. It can happen when you take strategic steps and hire the caregiving services of Home Instead Hamilton. Our team loves supporting families with services such as personal care, companionship, cooking, and Alzheimer's care. Look to us to be the secret to your caregiving success!

Call us at (905) 521-5500 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver daily to families in Hamilton Mountain, Downtown Hamilton, Rosedale, Kings Forest, Binbrook, Meadowlands, Ancaster, and Dundas.