It’s a point that we are all going to come to, one time or another. There will be a moment that we realize mom can no longer take care of herself in her own home. She is going to need assistance in one way or another. However, when we go looking for care, there are a few considerations we need to put first and foremost. Here are some things worth looking into.
Considering what her needs are
If mom has recently shown that independent living might not be the best idea for her, then we need to think about what her needs are. Some of them could be met with the help of a household accessibility team that can make renovations and changes to make the home safer. However, if she needs more routine care in getting around, cooking, and cleaning as well, then it’s likely that she is going to need another person to take care of some of those needs.
Thinking about what care we can provide
There are plenty of ways that we can support our own elderly relatives and maintain family unity. You can, for instance, take a more active role in helping your mom take care of certain aspects of her life, such as getting around and managing her finances. Should you have the time and capacity, you may even want to consider acting as her carer and living in the same home as her. However, while this is less costly than hiring help, it is a lot more demanding on your time and energy, so that choice should be made with care.
Managing their vulnerability
The more likely solution for a lot of families is that third-party carers may be hired or you may consider a retirement community for your mom. If that’s the case, however, it’s important to keep in mind that she is more vulnerable to harm than she was before. To that end, make sure you research care homes for any stories of abuse and neglect and make sure they have a good reputation and suite of services. Even after she moves in, keep the number of knowledgeable nursing home abuse attorneys on hand. You don’t want to think that she might be in harm’s way, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ready to respond.
Ensuring we keep in touch
It’s important to make sure that out of sight doesn’t become out of mind. Even if your mom makes friends or has a carer to provide company, it doesn’t beat having her own family around. As such, you can make sure you keep in touch by teaching her to use basic technology for more facetime conversations, as well as making routine and scheduled visits with the family a thing that you keep up over time. You can also look at community and hobby groups for people her age to get involved in.
Plenty of older family members receive care and assistance with little to no issue at all. However, it’s still important that we’re thoughtful and vigilant in how we provide it for them.
