Caring for an Elderly Parent

There are only 3 things in this world that are certain; birth, death and taxes. We all embark on our own life journey that, one day, has to end with our passing and if one of your parents is no longer with us, you need to take special care of your mother/father. It might be that one of your parents now lives in the family home on their own and as they age, the risk of an accident increases. 

Retaining independence

It is human nature to want to be independent and as a person ages, day-to-day life becomes more difficult; check out the amazing senior personal alarm at https://www.tunstallhealthcare.com.au/personal-alarms-for-seniors, which keeps your elderly parent in touch with emergency services. The device is worn around the neck and it has a red emergency button, when pressed, it would alert emergency services and communication can take place. This is a subscription service that is active 24/7 and once you present your mother or father with the pendant, you can cease worrying about their welfare.

Assisted living

If your elderly parent needs help at home, you can contact a local provider of in-home care; they can send a carer on a daily basis to carry out chores and help with dressing and bathing. The caring agency tailors their services to suit the individual and frequency can be adjusted according to your needs. Here are some relevant questions to ask a hospice provider.

Daily contact

You might have to teach your mother or father to use a smartphone (if they don’t have one), and then you can have a daily video call. It is important to maintain regular contact with a senior person that lives alone, which helps prevent loneliness and depression. 

Offering accommodation

If you are worried about your mother or father living alone, you could prepare a spare room at home and invite them to stay. Another option is to build a granny flat that is located in the garden, which helps the person retain their independence. We all have a huge debt to our parents and if they require help when they age, it is our duty as their son or daughter. It is common that the elderly person does not wish to relocate and this can be a challenge to overcome. Hopefully, he or she sees the sense in moving in with you and that is what happens.

Make time for visits

If your elderly parent lives nearby, it is easy to pay them a daily visit, failing that, you can contact a local caring agency and have someone visit on a daily basis. Search online for a senior personal alarm supplier and before you know it, your parent will be wearing the pendant and can easily call for assistance.

Making good use of local caring services

Everything from daily care to social outings is available from local care agencies; Google can help you locate such an agency, while you can contact the aged care services offered by the Australian government.

By Caitlyn