Elder Care Planning Eliminates Caregiver Stress

Here are practices that help family members get ahead with planning for elder care. The first step in planning is to allow your loved one to be involved in choosing how they want to be cared for. This gives them the feeling that they are in control. As we age, many of us will need the help of another because of an illness or disease. When this happens, it’s reassuring to know that we can choose how we want to be cared for.

The following questions will help adult children know what to look for when planning the best care for aging loved ones.

1. Ask how they want to live. Do they want to continue living at home? How do they want that to look? If you have siblings or other family members, get them involved in the conversation. Check out the local senior services that could assist them stay at home like; in-home care, adult daycare, senior centers, and other programs.

2. Make note of how the senior functions on a daily basis. It is important to know whether they can care for themselves. Some may require assistance, such as with keeping up with laundry or getting to appointments.

3. Are they eating properly? What about nutrition? Are they able to cook? When in the kitchen, check the refrigerator and pantry to make sure they are well stocked with nutritious food. This may be a good time to see if food in the refrigerator is spoiled.

4. Are unpaid bills lying around? Aging seniors can become forgetful and neglect to pay bills on time.

5. Is the aging person still driving? If so, you will want to assess their driving skills. They may have been driving twice as long as you have, but you must assess if it is still safe for them now.

6. Watch for any balance issues. Is your loved one having difficulty with their balance? They may tell you when it occurs. By observing how they walk or go up and down stairs will tell you a lot.

7. Do they easily misplace important items like wallet, keys, phone or important documents? Ask them about recent events to see what they recall.

8. Are they taking their medications properly? Do they keep them organized? Or are you finding the medication bottles scattered over the house; on the bathroom counter, in kitchen drawers and cabinets, nightstands, etc.

9. Have them tell you what precautions they plan to take in order to feel safe in their home.

This is a good start in preparing for the aging process. You will not be able to complete the list in one visit but being aware of what needs to be addressed will serve as a good solution. Read the full article for more tips: ElderCareABCblog.com

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When your aging parent or loved one needs home care in San Mateo, call Home Care Assistance, we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.