Caring for an elderly relative when they are no longer to care for themselves is hard. Here are 6 Practical Tips That Will Help You care for Your Elderly Relatives

 

 

6 Practical Tips That Will Help You care for Your Elderly Relatives

 

Old age can be quite unforgiving, and for your elderly relatives who now find themselves at a point in their lives where they need to find a new home, this can be daunting. Whether your relative needs to downsize or needs to consider other senior and elderly care living options, there are ways that you can help them along the way.

Here are 6 practical tips that will help you care for your elderly relatives.

1.   Understand The Different Options Available

 

First things first, you have to understand the different options available because there are more than you might think. Depending on your elderly relative’s needs and desires, this can help you narrow down what is more appropriate for their lifestyle. Examples of the different care include the following.

 

Independent living communities: these are residential areas for people who want to take care of themselves but want to live in a community with people similar to their age. With this option, your elderly relative still has a strong sense of autonomy but gets the benefit of living in a community helping to reduce loneliness.

 

In-home care: this option allows your elderly relative to live at home, and either a family member or a trained professional carer will care for them in the comfort of their own home. You can assess how often you need the carer to come round, whether it is two days a week or seven, there is lots of flexibility with this option.

 

Nursing/care homes: There are so many options when it comes to care and nursing homes, but the purpose of them is to provide care and respite care for older individuals with specific needs. There are nursing homes, such as arcare.com.au that are architecturally designed living environments. Comfort is at the very core of most care homes, you just have to take the time to find the right one.

2.   Start Planning As Soon As Possible

 

Regardless of whether your elderly relative is simply downsizing or moving into a nursing home, you need to start planning as soon as possible. The process and administration of these moves can take an excruciatingly long time sometimes, and so you will want to account for that and be prepared. Don’t waste time when it is something as important as this.

3.   Think Long Term

 

Ideally, you do not want to be repeating this process in a few years. It is important to think ahead and make sure that your relatives’ new home is suitable for them now, but also suitable for them in the future. For example, is the home close to a hospital, shops and public transport? You will also have to consider the accessibility of the home and make sure there are level access, walk-in showers, and a manageable amount of stairs. There is no point moving into a new home that has a tonne of stairs that your relative may not be able to use in a couple of years.

4.   Make Sure Your Elderly Relatives Get A Say

 

If your elderly relative is up for it, make sure that they get a say in the process. It is important to let them be heard and have their autonomy in this situation. If they have a strong preference towards a particular option, then you ought to respect this.

5.   Research Your Options Thoroughly

 

One of the reasons why you need to start planning as soon as possible is because the research part of the process can be very time-consuming. Do not rush this stage because it can be a make or break situation. Check reviews for care homes and cross-reference these with your findings. If you think you have found a great place but then you see that the reviews are quite negative, you can rule this out and not waste any further time on it.

6.   Visit Potential Homes In Person

 

The best way to get a real feel for a place is to go and see it in person. Brush up on your knowledge and know what to look for when touring a home. Also, if your elderly relative can as well then that is even better. It allows them to see if they can imagine themselves living there and whether or not they can imagine a happy life. As after all, the most important thing in all of this is the happiness of your relative.

 

While finding a new home for your elderly relatives can be a daunting process, if you follow these 6 practical tips you’ll be sorted.