How To Keep Aging Parents Safe At Home

Caring for an aging parent is a responsibility placed on a child’s shoulders once he or she is an adult. Many children do not want the idea of actually leaving their parents in a nursing home or under the care of others. Looking after elders in their own homes can be a wonderful idea, and is a form of paying things forward for what they have done. Of course, you will be concerned about how to keep them safe when you care for them at home. Here are tips that can guarantee that.

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Look into the Overall Picture

There is definitely a long list of caregiving do’s and don’ts, and that can just be overwhelming. Do not focus much on the tasks unless you understand what the real situation is. You have to identify how much care is needed by your parents. Create a list that categorizes tasks as to how often they should be done – whether daily, weekly, or monthly. From there, you will be able to see how much supervision is required. You will see a better picture a week after you have started your caregiving duties.

Stay Realistic

This means that you must not compromise your own health as well. When you get sick or depressed just because you care for your parent too much, there is a chance that he or she will feel bad about the situation. It can just worsen everything. You might end up having a hard time lifting your parents if they have mobile issues, and this can be harmful. Figuring out what can help in the process will be a good idea.

Ask for Help

It is important to have a partner when performing caregiving duties. This can be more effective and will ensure that no one’s health is compromised along the way. Sharing your duties with another family member, or even a trusted friend, will at least decrease your workload, and lessen your stress. You can even take regular breaks when you feel like it.
Asking for help can be done in many ways. You can enroll your parents in an adult day program. Through this, they can have some time socializing with others, while you take that much needed rest. Hire in-home caregivers or see if there is a volunteer senior companion program in your area. Ask others to run errands for the home, like preparing meals, and doing the grocery.

Invest in the Right Tool

On top of all the help that you can get, you can also give it a more advanced approach. A safe way to monitor your aging parents is through a HealthAssist Watch. This is a device that family caregivers can use in order to monitor their elders even when they are not at home. The special tool allows you to easily track missed medication doses. You can also use it to send reminders as to when medication should be taken. Distress messages are also sent to you whenever there is an emergency.

Caregiving is a shared responsibility. You should not overwhelm yourself with responsibilities that come with it. You can get by with a little help from your friends, family members, and the HealthAssist Watch.