With the right care and support, your aging parents will live a long and healthy life, and lots of us want to do the best for our aging parents or other relatives. The costs of care homes these days can be astronomical, which means that the only option for us is to ensure they come to live with us. It can feel like an incredibly noble pursuit at the outset, but we need to ensure that we prepare our home and our mindset, for when an elderly relative moves in. Here are a few things to consider:
Upgrade Your Home for Accessibility
If your aging parent or relative has limited mobility, you need to make a careful assessment of areas such as doors, bathrooms, and stairs to make sure that they are accessible and safe for your relative. You may wish to consider adding ramps or grab bars, as well as other mobility aids.
A medical supply store near you will provide a lot of these and more, and it’s vital to remember that your home is built for your needs, not theirs, so you’ve got to take your thoughts out of the equation and look at it from their perspective.
Dealing with Clutter
Clutter is something that might be par for the course in your home, especially if you’ve got children, but it’s so important to minimize tripping hazards to make it easier for the person to navigate. It might be time to declutter your home and take those opportunities to see what hasn’t served a purpose in a long time.
What we need to also remember is that if you have a relative with limited mobility, there is a higher likelihood that they will cause a lot of clutter, and it’s going to be impossible to keep a pristine house at this point, so if you feel like you need to clean the house on a bi-weekly basis, this may very well not be on the cards.
Think About Everybody’s Needs
We’ve got to look at it from their perspective and ensure we’re not depriving them of certain things. While we can easily start to become overprotective and think that they shouldn’t move around more than is necessary, we’ve got to remember that we’re here to help them and therefore if they’re not feeling supported or even trapped, then we’ve got to make changes to our mindset.
It’s also vital to remember that when you’re looking after someone, you are trying to do your best by them, but it can be incredibly stressful and overbearing. This is why you may need to take breaks from time to time so that you can be the best version of you. You may wish to consider getting a professional home caregiver who can assist with daily tasks, especially if you are still working.
Preparing your home for an elderly relative is about proactively addressing potential safety and accessibility issues to make sure they live in a safe and comfortable environment, while also looking out for everybody’s best interests.
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