Tips To Help Care For Elderly Love Ones At Home

Caring for elderly loved ones can be a struggle for busy children and other relatives. However, if you take the time to a little research, you'll find that there are helpful services and other ways to help when needed. Here are some tips to ensure your loved one is well taken care of.

Find Helpers Early

It's inevitable that elderly loved ones will need care, so don't wait until something happens before asking other family members for help. This way you have time to put a plan in place and know who can help and when.

Even if you are paying for elder care at home, your aging parents may still need the family to be there for them. This can make them feel less like a burden. Rotating schedules with family members can mean everyone gets a break to care for themselves as well.

Get Assistance With Meals

Elderly people often skip meals because they are too tired or just don't feel like cooking. Or, they eat food that has little or no nutritional value instead of a healthy meal.

If you have someone to come in and cook daily that is great, or even leave prepared dinner plates in the refrigerator that only requires reheating. If there are days when no one is available to provide help, consider researching local resources that assist in providing meal services for the elderly.

Create A Safe Home

Elderly persons are prone to slip and fall accidents, so it's best to go through the home and modify it for safety. There are some things you can do to increase safety in their home.

• Install grab bars in bathrooms
• Remove rugs
• Install ramps if needed
• Make things reachable
• Make sure all stairs have railings

Home modification is not usually too costly, especially if you can do some of the work.

Find A Care Provider

There may come a time when an aging parent requires more help than you and your family can provide. Or there just may be times when other obligations must be attended to.

Working with a home care agency can be a good way to find extra help when needed for eldercare. They can provide some great services, including:

• Rides to doctor visits
• Running errands
• Doing laundry
• House cleaning
• Meal preparation

Caring for aging parents doesn't have to be stressful with good planning and asking for help for elderly home care services when needed. Contact an elderly home care facility for more information.