Your Aging Parents in Northern KY

There comes a time when we have to accept that as we are aging, as too are our parents. What becomes difficult to cope with is when we begin to notice that our parents’ physical or mental well-being is deteriorating. As caring children, we must begin to assess elder care options for our parents and decide what the best next step is to ensure our parents’ needs are met.Certain factors must be assessed when deciding if allowing your parents to stay at home is practical and safe. First you must review the accessibility in their home and from their home to public places.

Things to consider:presence of stairs, home maintenance requirements, distance to public places like the grocery store, bank, or pharmacy, and availability of safe public transportation. Having a close network of family and friends nearby, in case of emergencies, and to prevent them from developing depression from being alone is also important. Finally, you must take into account their medical conditions and financial situation. Determine what physical or mental conditions are present and/or may develop or worsen and how you plan to support them as these conditions continue. Establish a budget for care based on what your parents can afford and what the family may be willing to contribute.After you’ve reviewed the above, you can better assess what services will be right for your parents. Home care services allow you to pay certified/licensed professionals to come to your parents’ home as needed to help them with their daily activities. These services can include household maintenance and cleaning, transportation or personal and limited health care.

Family members can struggle to provide proper care to their parents while trying to juggle their own jobs and children. When this happens, families become stressed and all involved may suffer. Home care services can alleviate the stress and you can make arrangements to only use the services that are needed and beyond what your family is able to provide.If your parents’ home situation doesn’t seem to be the safest or best option based on their needs and medical conditions, you may want to look into other senior care like assisted living. Assisted living is a housing option for elderly who need help with some daily activities. These facilities are alternatives to home care that can provide your parents with round the clock professional licensed staff in an apartment-style setting and a social environment. If your parents need personal care services more than what is feasible at home and their network of family members is not local than an this type of living arrangement is a good choice.

Now if your parents have medical conditions that are, or will become, too difficult to handle at home and require more medical supervision than what an assisted living would provide, you should consider a nursing home facility. Aside from a hospital for a specific incident or treatment, a nursing home, or skilling nursing facility, will provide the highest level of elder care. The licensed staff at a nursing home also works around the clock and often includes more skilled professionals like nurses, doctors, and therapists that specialize in senior care. If your parents need both medical and personal care assistance long term or after surgery or hospitalization, then a nursing home is the best service available.

It is the decision of responsible caring children to make certain that your parent’s needs are met and often this requires help from outside of the family. Take time to understand your parents’ individual needs and make the best choice for their health and well-being.

At Family Bridges Home Care, we recognize that there are many reasons why a loved one may need home care. From seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease to patients with disabilities to caregivers needing respite care, we are here to provide quality and affordable home care in Northern KY and the surrounding communities. Call us for information, (888) 900-0048!