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How To Care For Your Aging Parents

Caring for aging parents is not such an easy task. It has logistical and psychological issues to deal with. The emotional distress that you, as the caregiver, may have to go through can sometimes be very overwhelming. Fortunately, there are easy and practical ways to overcome every challenge you might encounter.  

First, you need to accept that your parents are aging or have already aged. The sooner you acknowledge the truth, the better, as this will make you accept the reversal role more quickly and easily. Furthermore, it will offer you various care giving options to explore. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance to regularly monitor their aging process closely, so that the pressure and responsibility of caring for them does not come unexpectedly.

Secondly, you may have to make a decision on where your aging parents will be living. This will, however, largely depend on how much nursing care and supervision they need. If the attention they require is minimal, you can let them continue staying in their own home but make the necessary modifications, if need be, like adding railings in the shower, removing the threshold at the shower door to avoid them  tripping over or even turning a room on the first floor into a bedroom.

To make it a little easier for them to get out of bed, you can raise their bed a few inches higher. A home care aide can then be visiting them a few times a week to assist them with daily routines. But should they need a little more intensive care, you may opt to take them to either a continuing care retirement facility or bring them under your own roof. 

The care giving financial matters should be considered carefully, with the first step being an assessment of your assets, income sources, debts and liabilities. This ought to give you an idea on how to spend the available financial resources. If for instance you are living under the same roof with your aging parents, that could mean additional costs of food, some modifications to your home and even travelling expenses to and from the doctor.

Besides checking out insurance policies and Medicare information, it is also important to research on the financial assistance your aging parents are eligible for, from the government and community groups. It may prove a challenge accounting for every penny and should it become too much for you, consult a financial planner.

Legal consideration is another essential pillar in caring for your aging parents. At one time or another, they might need a power of attorney, which would entail appointing someone to execute tasks such as writing cheques or even paying bills. It is equally crucial for you to know the location of documents such as Advance medical directives, health care proxy and the living will, if at all they exist. 

However, your aging parents may, for one reason or another, be unwilling to be drawn into legal conversations. Should they decline to talk about the power of attorney or living will, you might consider obtaining guardianship from a court of law. This would give you the legal authority to decide on a number of issues including their long-term medical treatment and financial matters. While dealing with all these legalities, ensure you get your own legal documents as it would dictate, besides other things, how you would like to be treated in your old age, thus making life easier for your own family.

In whatever decision made or action taken, remember that care giving will most likely provide an opportunity for more aging parent-adult child bonding, thus creating a stronger emotional connection. Besides, it could even cover up for the quality time both of you failed to spend together a number of years back.