How To Keep Your Parents At Home For As Long As Possible

For many adult children, the thought of putting their aging parents into an assisted living facility is a difficult, and sometimes almost impossible decision. It's hard to look at the people that took care of us and made decisions for us, not being able to make decisions on their own.

Yet for thousands of adults, that is a reality.


Thanks to today's resources, more elderly are putting off the necessity of moving into assisted living facilities, and instead living comfortably in their homes with in-home care. In-home care offers a wide array of non-medical help, and can provide elderly with many different services, including help with meal preparation and medicine reminders, light housekeeping, and even travel companionship.

In order to offer these services to the elderly in your life, it's important that you begin talking about it early on. Don't wait until it's a necessity in your lives; instead, bring up the topic early on, and have it become a welcome opportunity in your parents' lives.

Below are 7 tips to help you introduce in-home care to your aging parents.

1. Start discussing the different options with your parents early on. Don't wait until its too late, and you have an immediate need. Instead, introduce a few simple services while your parents are still in relatively good health, and can help you make the decision.

2. Communicate clearly and with a purpose. Have your ideas planned out, and have responses to any questions or arguments you anticipate from your parents. Remember to stay as calm as possible, and allow some room for your parents to make choices. Their independence may feel threatened, so allow them some room to make their own choices.



3. Help your parents establish good documentation and record keeping skills. While your parents are in good health, it's easier to accumulate everything into one central location. Have them pull together doctors records, insurance information, estate information, wills, living wills, investment and financial information. It may be difficult for them to share this information with you, but explain the necessity of having it together in one location.

4. Become a resource. If your parents are missing key pieces of information, or are unaware of some of the options available to them, become a resource. Supply them with community resources, forms for Medicare and Medicaid, long-term care insurance options, and financial planning resources.

5. Provide several options. Nobody likes to be told how to do something, especially your parents. They have always been there to provide for you; turning the tables can be a difficult moment. Instead, give them choices. They will feel more responsible and more accepting to the situation if they have had some choice in the matter.

6. Consistently evaluate the situation. If you have in-home are, its easier to make assessments. Communicate with your care manager regularly, and discuss your options. Also listen to your parents, and find out how they feel. Will simple adjustments make them happier? Sometimes small changes can make all the difference in the world.


7. Remember you aren't alone. If you have family members near by, involve them in the decision making process. If that's not an option, find local resources in your community to help. Many people face these same situations every day. Find support centers that can steer you in the right direction, and provide you with good reliable resources to help you through these changing times.

By: Jonnelle Leimbach-12244

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Jonnelle Leimbach is the co-owner and President of Seniors Etc, an in-home caregiver company helping seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible. Seniors Etc currently serves the Denver Metro area in Colorado, and provides a variety of services, including light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, hospice assist, respite care and companionship. Sign up for our report, How To Tell When Your Family Is Ready For Homecare at SeniorsEtc.com