One of the cruelest truths of life is that as you grow up and become more successful, your parents grow older, weaker, and even become disabled. This reality comes with significant responsibilities and challenges.
However, if you live far from home, the matter can be extremely daunting. You have to find effective ways to support your parents immediately. For a quick solution, dive right in!
1. Identify what you can do for them
Since you’re away from your aging parents, you can’t be there to meet their needs, and that’s OKAY! Don’t blame yourself or feel guilty for not being there. Nobody is the best in everything.
Instead, focus on the positives. What can you do for them?
Perhaps you earn enough money to get them the necessary aid and assistance. You can also invest in making your home safer!
Or, you are well-connected and have people to look after your parents, bring them food, or just good, ol’ company!
2. Appoint an in-home carer
Even if people promise to look after your parents and visit frequently, you can’t rely on them completely. After all, they might have emergencies and won’t be able to make it every day.
Instead, seek an NDIS-certified in-home support and care provider from a reputable healthcare recruitment agency. Ensure they have at least 50 years of experience in caregiving and are equipped with a skilled team of nursing and disability support professionals.
Tell the agency about the services you expect. This can include daily life assistance as well as household tasks. They’ll find the right fit for you according to your needs. You can come over and meet the staff assigned to your parents or arrange a virtual meeting to get the services started.
3. Visit them as much as possible
Often, adult children forget that elderly parents need their company as well. Taking care of their daily physical needs isn’t enough. You must also care for their emotional needs.
So, talk to your employer and fix particular dates to take extended time off. Meet your parents as frequently as possible without impacting your professional commitment.
During your visits, spend quality time with your parents. Take them out to relaxing places, including the movies or a long drive. If your parents prefer to stay at home, indulge in their hobbies together, cook their favorites for them, and teach them to use gadgets like smartphones and laptops.
With old age, parents think children don’t care for them. Remind them that you miss them and care a lot.
4. Arrange family meetings
Your parents don’t just crave your presence. They also want to be around other loved ones. According to the WHO, social isolation and loneliness affect one in three elderly and it has severe health impacts!
So, whenever you visit, you can take them over to other loved ones’ places. Alternatively, you can also invite everyone over.
If everyone is not available, then set a monthly family meeting date on the phone or apps like FaceTime or Skype. This will ensure your parents will feel the warmth of family love regularly and won’t feel left out.
Assign different loved ones to check in on your parents in person every week. Give one of them the written permission to receive financial and medical information on your parents’ behalf.
5. Enhance your home’s safety
Fortify your home’s safety and prevent accidents with the following:
- Adequately light every corner of the home to avoid troubles during navigation.
- Install grab bars and non-slip mats near the shower and toilet to prevent slips.
- Rearrange furniture for easy accessibility.
- Install corner guards on sharp-edged furniture and appliances.
- Put non-slip mats under rugs to secure them to the floor.
- Install handrails (if necessary, new ones) to the staircase.
- Get smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and ask someone to check the batteries regularly.
6. Curate an emergency plan
Despite 24/7 support and all preventive measures, accidents and emergencies are still normal. So, create a plan to deal with them.
Ensure your parents know how to connect with you or their caregiver. Offer them a list of emergency contacts on their phone or a notepad. These contacts must agree on a few important roles as necessary during hospital visits.
Keep your employer posted so you can take emergency leaves on short notice. Lastly, always have a packed bag with essential clothes, toiletries, and medicines so you can set off immediately.
Conclusion
Lastly, don’t forget to stay in touch with your parent’s medical team and in-home caregiver. With regular updates, you’ll be able to make better choices.
