When we come to talk about caring the elderly parents, you have number of options to take care of. The first decision in this context is where your parents are going to live with you or in some elder care homes.
After you make a decision, you must prepare to meet other requirements. It is your time to talk to the financial, medical and the healthcare attorneys, insurance companies and day-to-day concern like paying out the bills and management of assets.
If you look from the personal front, you must play the role of a caretaker to your parent. At this stage of life is difficult for both of you. Grant yourself some of the popular strategies to make the life easier for you and your aging parent.
What Are Those Ten Things That You Must Take Care Of?
FINANCES OF THE AGING PARENT
Cost of elder care is actually daunting and for the members who stay out of house for the most of the time is quite problematic. When you get down to evaluate the options to take care of the aging parent, the very first question is – what are the expense limit that your family can bear?
This is the stage when you start assessing the financial situation of your parent. Many senior citizens who receive Social Security that is able to give them retirement benefits, disability and the family benefits. However, for many the nursing home care is such high that the monthly expenses cannot meet that. Do make sure that you aging parent have a retirement plan, investments, assets and other resources to cover the monthly living expenses.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Seniors who are aged between 65 and are eligible for the Medicare must apply for it. The one who is a Medicare recipient are responsible to share the cost benefits and may be required to pay the deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance premiums.
For the seniors who are having the Medicare, the Affordable Care Act is able to determine the benefits and their distribution. Therefore, if your parent is not having a Medicare, then immediately apply for one to give them proper health coverage.
ELDERLY CARE FOR AGING PARENTS AT HOME
Alost 10 million people are there who are going to take care of the elderly and the aging parent at home. That helps to save money and helps the elderly people to stay under the love and care of their children. Well, making your parent stay at home also need some homework- special diet chart, extra space to live and roam, full-time health aids, well-equipped bathrooms all to facilitate the aging parents.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
It is better to shift the financial and economical control of your aging parents with the use of Power of Attorney. It is important to set the power of attorney before your aging parents turns forgetful and it reduces the hassles of financial transactions. This will allow you to pay the bills on behalf of them or meet other monthly expenses.
ESTATE PLANNING FOR ELDERLY PARENTS
This is a sensitive topic but you must take care of it. A living will is beneficial when the parents become terminally ill. This document declares that whether your father or mother is DNR – in case they are under the life-support system.
DEALING WITH THE DIFFICULT PARENTS
As we know that, the parent and child relationship is the sweetest of all and for that, you have to bear the aggressive attitude of your elderly parents at times. As they are aged, they suffer from the complex diseases and hence you have to take good care rather than getting angry on them.
HOME SECURITY
If the aged parent stays alone at home then you need to ensure total security. It may be the anti-theft alarming system or the medical alarms needs that you to set at your home in order to assure that they are safe.
SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM
You have to be a little more responsible if your aging parents stay with you. Engage them in different kind of activities, ask your children to spend their leisure with grandparents. As children are irate at times, you have to make some time out of your busy schedule to give them the warmth and the comfort.
UPDATED BASIC INFORMATION
Carry necessary basic informational bout your parent wherever you go. Since, if not in your absence they go through a major setback, you can at least help the other to drive them to the health care and get a basic treatment before your arrival. Basic information includes:
· Full name
· Date of Birth
· Social Security Number
· Phone Number and Address
· Marital Status
· Health Status
· Names and Phone Numbers of physician, attorney, geriatric care manager
· Phone Numbers for family members and parent’s close friends
MEDICAL BRACELET
Have you heard of this new device? It is a small pen drive or a USB support that carries all the files and necessary document and medical history of your parents. You can buy one and keep them hanging in the wrist of your parent just to ensure security during any kind of medical emergency.
These are just the ten ways by which you can keep your aging parents happy and secure. Do follow them to make them give the comfort, which they used to give you earlier.
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About the author:
Samantha Andrews is a well- known medical consultant who is associated with the major multinational companies and helps their staffs with different health problems. She is presently with medical emergency call handling in India who assists the patients with right information during their medical needs.
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Parenting
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