Help Your Parents Thrive at Home as Their Health Changes

By the time you’re 65, the chances of having at least one chronic health condition are high. Many older adults have two or more, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol being the most common. How can your parents age at home when their health is changing?

Do a Home Safety Check

Go through their home and check for safety issues. Do they have grab bars in the bathroom? Are the stair rails sturdy and anchored to studs rather than sheetrock?

Look at the flooring and see if there are cracked tiles, uneven wood flooring sections, or loose carpeting that increases the fall risk. Address any issues as you come across them.

There are other safety issues to consider. Make sure the smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detectors work. Check that they’ve had their heating system cleaned and inspected. Have their dryer vent and chimney cleaned if they haven’t done so recently.

Go Over Their Care Needs

What do your parents have a more challenging time completing independently? If your mom has arthritis and struggles to keep track of when she’s taken her last pain reliever, she could have caregivers tracking doses for her.

Your dad can no longer drive. His reaction times are too slow, so his driving examiner told him he needed to stop. He needs to have people available to drive him to the store, his doctor’s office, etc.

Do they keep their home clean? If the vacuum is too heavy or bulky for them to push it around, hire home care aides to clean for them. Caregivers can vacuum, dust, do the laundry, and mop floors. That’s just a start. Talk to a home care specialist to learn more.

Look at how well your parents manage their medication refills. Do they run out before they order another month’s supply? Do they schedule doctor’s appointments as needed to get prescriptions renewed?

Finally, make sure they pay bills on time. Go through their accounts to see if they’re paying for any unnecessary services. Unexplained payments should be scrutinized to ensure they’re not being scammed. If they forget to pay bills, they risk getting important services like electricity or gas shut off.

Hire Home Care Aides to Assist Them

Home care services assist adults as they age at home. Whether your mom and dad need someone to cook meals, take them shopping, clean their home, and help with personal care, caregivers are available. Talk to a home care agency to schedule the desired services.