How Can You Decide If Your Parents Need Specialized Home Care?

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One of the trickiest parts of growing up is watching your parents grow older and the vulnerability of them needing on-going support. It seems like time passed in the blink of an eye. Once upon a time, your parents were pushing you around in a stroller. The next thing you know, you are helping them move around in their wheelchair.

Your parents have most likely helped you through thick and thin, and it is time to do the same for them. Realizing that your parents need retirement or specialized care home does not mean you do not care about them and want to give up the responsibility. It is simply accepting life as is and moving forward. Sometimes it may be challenging to support your parents 24/7, but you must figure out how they can remain safe, what their care needs are, and what the best environment is to meet these needs. 

Here are some ways you can decide if your parents need retirement home care.

Explore Your Nursing Home Options

Before you go ahead and talk to your parents, identify the extent of their needs and figure out what the potential home options are. If you find the home beforehand, you can provide your parents with all the information they need. Call a couple of places and find out all of their services, care levels, and costs, if required. Retirement homes such as Sagecare offer specialized care for seniors with dementia, and will be able to guide you through the entire process.

If you discuss your concerns with the home, they will give you proper advice and inform you if they think your parents need to move to an assisted facility, memory support care, or even independent living. If they have Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, they need regular care because memory loss can affect people in different ways. It is a good option to consider places like Sagecare, where there is high staffing to resident ratio, enabling them to provide constant care.

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Have “The Talk” with Your Parents

Remember when you were a teenager, and your parents had to give you “the talk” about the birds and the bees? You probably remember it being awkward. But this talk is different. It is still a challenging task, but it doesn’t have to be weird.

Sit down with your parents and introduce the nursing home idea. Tell them why you think they need to become residents of a care facility. Do not make the decision and drop your parents off there. Ask for their opinion and if they disagree, try to explain your point of view. Some parents may agree right away, while others may get disheartened and have a tough time accepting it. Whatever the possible reaction is, you need to do your best as their child. Involving your parent into the process and identifying the unmet needs, eases the transition as they can relate to your anxiety and need for providing care successfully for them. 

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Observe Every Move

One of the best ways to figure out if your parents need senior care is by observing their actions. If you are not around to see what problems they may be facing, you might not be aware that they need help or what kind of help.

Please note whether they can eat properly, walk around without help, and take the proper medication on time. If your parents are struggling to perform daily tasks, are behaving differently, or need reminders to take medication, they might require help. Assisted living can provide round-the-clock comprehensive care.

The final decision to go ahead and move your parents to a retirement home can be a daunting task. But, if you choose the right place, your mind will be at ease, and your parents will be safe too.

This is a guest blog entry.