Caring for Elderly Parents in their Home

Everyone is aware that most elders want independence as much as younger people. Making practical arrangements to ensure this continuing independence is a priority for most people with the responsibility of caring for elderly parents. It can involve anything from making the home safer to arranging for cleaning help,

Neighbors

Neighbors are the biggest single resource for helping ensure the well being of elders living alone. If you can enlist their help, it is a real benefit. Explain any problems that specifically affect your parent (or parents), give your contact details and encourage them to drop by from time to time.

Community Resources

It is always worth checking out what voluntary or government organizations have to offer elders in your area. This may be day centers where elders can socialize. It may be volunteer visitors who will read to elders. The list of what is on offer is almost endless though provision can be patchy. If you search for ‘elder resources’ or ‘senior citizen resources’ followed by your city or community name you should find a list of projects or help services.

Pets

Pets can provide practical and emotional support to elders especially if they are otherwise alone. For many elderly people, pets, are a reason to live. My own mother’s biggest worry is what will happen to her dog if she can no longer look after him.

Research has shown that pets also have a big impact on health. A dog provides the motivation to get up everyday. It ensures the elder gets some exercise and also provides security. A cat can be a perfect companion for a less mobile elder. Cats and dogs are great listeners.

Safety in the Home

Falls are the biggest problem and every step should be made to minimize risks. Risks can be reduced by simple measures like ensuring that there are adequate handrails in bathrooms, mats are non-slip and perhaps, in some cases, moving a bedroom downstairs. The video below gives useful tips for reducing falls.

There is lot of information at this government website on falls and how to prevent them. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/index.html

Benefits for Senior Citizens

If you want to make sure an elderly parent is getting all the benefits that they are entitled to, this is a good site to check out.

http://www.benefitscheckup.org/

You can use the site to find and enroll in all federal, state, local or private programs that help pay for prescription drugs, meals, utility bills, health care and other needs.

The assistance is often small but for some it can mean the difference between keeping their home and losing it.

Security

You don’t have to spend much money to improve security in most homes. Window locks, hinge bolts, automatic lights with movement detectors for backyards etc can all reassure and protect at low cost.

A dog is also great for personal security. Most intruders are deterred by a barking dog.

Medical Emergencies

Medical Bracelets

Medical bracelets are a useful way of ensuring that elders with ongoing medical conditions are treated quickly and appropriately by medical professionals. Diabetes, for instance, can quickly render a person unable to speak and describe their problem. An ambulance crew finding a bracelet with the diabetes code can deliver the correct treatment without the need for time consuming diagnosis. Any allergies or drug intolerance can also be engraved.

Medical Alarms

Medical Alarms are electronic devices worn as bracelets or necklaces. They are similar to provide security in the home by maintaining a link with a base station connected to a phone line. If an elder experiences a sudden illness -heart attack or stroke. for instance- they should have the time to press the emergency button. The base station then contacts a monitoring service which informs emergency services and caregivers. Fees for this service are around $15 a month. They also provide a way of reacting to home intrusions.

Another form of medical alert involves a no-monthly-fee service but does not include monitoring. The user wears a small phone that rings 911 at the push of a button.

http://www.callforassistance.com/ offer a no monthly fee service. The one off payment is around $200.

An interesting discussion on the pros and cons of medical alerts can be found here:http://www.aarp.org/community/groups/

Elder Aids

Ergonomics is a big clumsy word for a very useful idea. It means designing ordinary things in such a way that people can use them most easily. For elders who are failing in strength, a water tap with a long handle can mean the difference between a serious struggle every time water is needed and an easy pain-free operation. There are literally thousands of devices that can help elderly people keep doing the things they want to.

The site below is a useful starting point for many devices that help the elderly live at home for longer.

http://www.elderstore.net/fixturesandfurniture.aspx

In-Home Care

Many agencies will provide in-home care. Some will offer nursing care for sick parents; others offer non-nursing home care and help.

Visiting Angels is a well known non-nursing care agency in the US. This service can provide everything from full time care to regular part time care or just a few weeks a year to allow a primary caregiver to take a vacation.

http://www.visitingangels.com/

The problems of elder abuse receive wide attention from time to time and should never be underestimated. Any in-home help should be carefully monitored.

Assisted Living

If living at home simply becomes impractical for your elderly parents, you could think about an assisted living complex. This means that senior citizens retain a high level of independance but get help of the following kind:

• 24-hour supervision
• 3 meals per day
• Housekeeping and laundry
• Personal care assistance as needed eg bathing, dressing, grooming or eating.
• Security
• Emergency call systems
• Transport
• Minor medical supervision, eg with taking medication
• Health and exercise programs
• Shared activities

Privately run accommodation can cost from $2000 to $5000 a month. Assistance with costs can be provided by government agencies for those who qualify.

Elder Resources By US State and Canada

http://www.seniorresource.com/states.htm

You can find all kinds of resources in your area.