The tables have turned. When you needed help, your parents were there for you. Now they need you to be there for them. When your elderly family members start to need a little more help, this adds a whole new list of considerations to your life. Depending on the level of independence your elderly family member maintains, this can either be a little or lot. No matter the case, there are plenty of things you can do to support your elderly family members.
1. Automate Their Finances
Seniors sometimes need help with the budget and the bills. A lot of seniors aren’t too familiar with things like online banking. With online banking, their bills can be automatically paid directly from their account on their due dates. They won’t forget to pay things, and there’s no need to write out a check. You can also get a budget app to help them run the numbers every month. Seniors deserve to have special treats just like everyone else, and a well managed budget will allow them occasional luxuries.
2. Make Their Day to Day Easier
The elderly can’t handle chores with the same ease they had when they were younger. Prep some healthier alternatives to their normal food in order to make it easier for them to have a nutritious dinner with minimal work. Buy them a robotic vacuum cleaner, so they won’t have to push the heavy machine. Invest in a dishwasher and a trash compactor. A few investments now can save you from taking time out of your own schedule to help them tidy up, and you won’t need to pay for a cleaning service to come.
3. Become a Caregiver
Elderly woman and young female caregiver at homeIf your elderly family member need some specialty care, consider doing it on your own. You can become certified in things like first aid and CPR, or you can even become a full-fledged social worker. Some elderly people may be resistant to the idea of a stranger coming in to take care of them, so having a qualified family member to assist might give them some peace of mind.
4. Help Them Downsize
Downsizing saves money, cuts utility bills, and makes a house easier to maintain. If it’s just one or two elderly people living in a home, they don’t need a large yard and four bedrooms. By selling off their old home and using the proceeds to buy a smaller house or condo with accessible features, you’re making it easier for them to live their lives and save some money. You can even look for homes in senior communities – these communities host social events that will allow our family members to make friends and have fun.
5. Explore Comprehensive Care Plans
Sometimes, finding a comprehensive care plan is more economically efficient while being better for your elderly family member. Care facilities, like nursing homes, retirement homes, or other forms of assisted living, will do all of the maintenance. They’ll cook and clean for your elderly family member, and they even have doctors on staff. Everything is included in one monthly bill, and some of it may even be covered by insurance. You’ll never have to worry about our family member, because they’ll have easy access to just about everything they need.
Don’t forget to ask your family member what he or she wants. Maybe they’d like you to come hang out and help every weekend, and they don’t need much else in the way of support. Keep the family member involved in the conversation about their evolving care needs.
About the author:
Audrey Robinson is a blogger who enjoys covering numerous topics in her writings. Feel free to contact her on @AudreyyRobinson.
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