Care for the elderly in Laguna Woods
When it is time to reciprocate the love and care to your aging parents, one can be met with emotionally complex challenges. Tending to your elderly parents at home is not always an easy task as one usually anticipates. In order to avoid being caught off guard with the caregiver responsibility, you need to anticipate this role beforehand in order to be more prepared. They may want to consider home care as an option to supplement whatever help you are providing. To help take care of your elderly parents better, here are the three tips that you ought to know:
1. Start at home
In order to make the home a safe and healthy environment for your elderly parents, you may need to make some changes. It’s important that their house is safe. Grab bars, shower seats and handheld shower heads are all useful modifications to consider. You should also place skid resistant pads in the shower to prevent slips. If warranted strategically placed motion sensors in the house can keep you updated on the whereabouts of your parents in the house so you don’t have to worry about whether your father or mother is still in the bathroom or if they are not moving for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, it is very helpful to install anti-scald devices for the shower so your parent’s fragile skin remains protected from burning from hot water. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be used throughout the house because older people are more vulnerable to this poisonous gas.
2. Check in frequently
You need to provide your parents with an easy means of communication that they can use to contact you or to call for outside help. You may place a call monitor in the bedroom so their caregivers are at the other end of the line when they need them. It is also very helpful to give them a cell phone with all the emergency contacts on speed dial in case of an emergency. Try to get them to form a habit of keeping their cell phones on at all times so you can check up on them from work or elsewhere. You may ask your neighbors or the gardener to check up on your parents every once in a while. Get them a Personal Emergency Response System that allows them to access a 24/7 call center in the event they need help. Keeping in close communication with them will help you be more aware of whether they are feeling well, safe and living in secure conditions. When checking in, look for subtle details like whether the plants look watered or if the mailbox filled to capacity. Check that they maintaining their personal appearance and hygiene. These details can alert you that things are changing with them.
3. Do not expect anything in return emotionally
This is one of the most common mistakes adult caregivers make when tending to their elderly parents. You need to realize that things have changed and it might never be the same again. This means that old rules and methods no longer apply. Old emotions may not apply either. Your parents might open up to you emotionally and discuss with you all things they hold dear to them, but be prepared if they don’t. Elderly parents tend to get more rigid as they age and you may never get the emotional closure you had been expecting. So, keep it in mind that your parents might not comply back with you emotionally.
If you can’t afford the time your elderly parents may need for with help with any number of activities, you may want to discuss the option with them of home care services.
If you are considering caregiver services in Laguna Woods or the surrounding Orange County areas, please call us at 949-535-2211. We provide senior care services in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Woods, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo and surrounding areas of Orange County California. Contact us today to learn more.
