Looking after aging parents can drain you both physically and financially. Today’s lifestyle is extremely demanding, and you may struggle to juggle work and your senior parents’ well-being. Here are tips to keep your parents happy, healthy, and comfortable without compromising your well-being and peace of mind:
1. Hire an in-home caregiver
When you have siblings, friends, and extended family by your side, the burden of caring for your parents reduces significantly. Even when those close friends and relatives are not available physically to help with cooking, transportation to doctor appointments, laundry, and other tasks, they can contribute toward hiring professional senior care services. Care companies such as Husky Senior Care offer in-home care packages tailored to suit specific needs. Before hiring, ensure you understand your parents’ needs, so you choose a package that gives you the best value for your money.
2. Organize doctor visits
Older adults may become forgetful, stubborn, or too weak to take themselves to the doctor. When this is the case, you need to be there to ensure all doctor appointments and hospital visits are adhered to.
Keep your parents’ health in mind when looking for a caregiver. Some in-home care packages do not cover hospital trips and other medical needs.
3. Eat healthily and exercise.
Keeping your parents healthy and physically fit doesn’t need adopting an extreme home workout regime. You can achieve it by ensuring they develop a habit of going for morning and evening walks.
Consider merging their exercise routine with yours, so you can monitor them more easily and spend time together without tweaking your schedule.
Additionally, pay attention to your parents’ diet plan. At their age, they may not consume much, so it is important to ensure the little they feed on has enough nutrients to keep them going.
4. Take care of yourself.
Caregiving can be exhausting, whether you are taking care of your loved one or you are a professional caregiver. Over time, many caregivers develop burnout, an emotional state characterized by weight gain, sleep problems, fatigue, social isolation, and a feeling of hopelessness.
When this happens, you may not serve your aging parents as well as you should. Your productivity at work may also take a dip.
Find ways to take care of your mental and physical health, so you are always fresh and in the mood for caregiving.
5. Make your home safe.
Slips and falls on slippery floors, down the stairs, etc. are not uncommon occurrences. The elderly are more prone to these falls, and their weak bodies are more vulnerable to severe injuries.
Structural modifications are essential if you want to keep your aging parents safe from accidents. Consider installing staircase railing, adding grab bars to your walk-in shower, and using low-pile carpet if any of them uses a wheelchair.
Endnote
We all want to see our parents happy, healthy, and secure in their old age. This can be tiring and life-altering. The above tips will help you find the easiest route to effective caregiving and ensure that your parents’ well-being doesn’t slow down your life.