Caring for aging parents at home is one of the toughest and most stressful jobs you will ever do. There are consequences for everyone involved.
Although caregiving for an elder loved one (or ones) can be daunting at first, Florida’s Best Moving is here to help make their move into your home as smooth as possible.
Here are five tips for caring for aging parents and ensuring that everyone is happy, comfortable, and free of stress.
Understand How Much Care is Needed
Caregiving can be overwhelming, and when you have a lengthy list of tasks, chances are you will overlook the overall picture.
Assess your aging parent’s needs and create a list of daily, weekly, and monthly care tasks. This will help you understand how much assistance will be needed throughout the day, at night, and on weekends.
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Be Realistic About Their Needs — and Yours
Now that you have a better idea of your aging parent’s needs, you can decide if assistance is required.
Think carefully about how much care you realistically can provide without getting burned out or wrecking your health. Set boundaries so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Be as proactive as possible and seek the support you need to handle stress.
Take a bit of the burden off the relocation by calling the professionals at Florida’s Best Moving & Storage to manage heavy boxes and furniture! Connect with us at (813) 485-6580 so you can focus on what matters during this hectic time.
Caregivers Should Share the Weight
Even though finding caregiving help can take effort, it is an investment that will pay off and give you some much-needed time to yourself!
Be open-minded and flexible, and keep your list of needs handy when searching for help.
Here are some suggestions for getting assistance:
- Enroll your parent in an adult day program that will offer socialization and care for them, and rest for you!
- Hire in-home care to give you regular breaks.
- Find a volunteer senior companion in your area.
- Sign up for a service such as Meals on Wheels to reduce the number of meals you must make.
- Ask family and friends to run errands or prepare some meals.
- Order household supplies in bulk or arrange for home delivery to cut down on errands.
Don’t Be Shy About Seeking Support
You no doubt are doing such an excellent job that no one considers that you might need help. Even if you feel like you shouldn’t have to say it, ask siblings and close relatives if they can take on some responsibility so you can take a break.
If your relatives are willing to help, be creative and flexible. No solution will be perfect, but anything will ease your workload!
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Reduce Financial Pressure
Caring for an aging adult can result in a significant financial burden on your family. By being creative, you can reduce costs to relieve financial pressure and stress.
Ideas to save money on caregiving include:
- Taking advantage of government-assistance programs
- Hiring independent caregivers instead of working with an agency
- Seeking out options for free or inexpensive respite care
- Hiring a sitter instead of a home health aide
- Utilizing a medical alert system
Other ways to seek assistance include Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security compassionate allowances, discount prescription-drug programs, disability allowances, and other programs can help cover the costs of caregiving.
Eligibility for these programs is determined on an individual basis, so it’s best to research what assistance is available for your unique situation.
The Best Next Move
If your parent(s) can no longer live alone, you’ll have to decide as a family what’s the next best move. Should they move in with you? Have help move in with them? Move into a care community?
Florida’s Best Moving is here to help with the complex process of moving your loved one’s possessions. As a family-owned business, we care about our seniors and grandparents throughout Tampa Bay.
Our team of professionals will make the move seamless! Connect with our senior moving experts at (813) 485-6580 and get started with a free, no-hassle estimate.