There may come a time when it becomes necessary to think about the future life of an elderly relative when it becomes obvious that they are no longer able to live independently or provide for all of their own care needs. There are a number of options including bringing in home care services through agencies in their local community. These may include visiting companions, home duties services and nursing services. There are services that provide transporting and shopping services to help your elderly relative remain living independently however, there may come a time when this is no longer viable.
If an elderly relative experiences frequent physical or mental difficulties they may require ongoing full time support. It's decision time. Before you make the decision about how to manage this situation you need to consider many factors.
There are basically two choices, your elderly relative co-habits with you or they go in to a nursing home facility. A care assessment of the needs of an elderly relative will need to be done and will dictate if the co-habitation option is appropriate. It is important that there is a care assessment completed before any decision is reached. Their doctor is the best person to speak to about how to get a care assessment done. The assessment will determine the level of care that is required for your elderly relative. If your elderly relative is assessed as high level care needs that the decision will be taken out of your hands, it may be that your relative will not be permitted to live with you because it is assessed as medically unsafe.
If the assessment comes back with a low level of care needs there are further considerations. Could you manage caring for an elderly person 24/7? Where are they going to live, in their home or in yours? Most elderly people go to live with their adult children so there are a number of questions about this.
Is there physically enough room at your home? Will your elderly relative have their own room? Most elderly people are used to having their own place and own space, it is therefore important that they have their own bedroom at minimum. This is somewhere they can spend time or retreat to where their right to privacy is ensured. You will also need to consider the impact on others in your home, how will they feel about an elderly relative competing with them for your time.
Time factor is another consideration. Do you have time to provided care and support to your elderly relative in the way they deserve? If you are employed full time or have other major commitments on your time think about what it is you can offer. Would your elderly relative be safe if they are left alone for long periods of time? This will need to be thought about and discussed.
Is there enough room in bathroom facilities so they can get in and out with ease? Does railing need to be installed to ensure their safety? You will need to measure the bathroom facilities to ensure that there is room to install railing when the time comes. This will improve your elderly relative's sense of independence for bathing and toileting.
There will be a number of decisions about your elderly relative's home if they come to live with you. If they own the property decision will need to be made about whether to keep the property or sell it. If the property is kept, there will need to be planning around maintaining the property, decisions about which person will be responsible for looking after the home. There are benefits and pitfalls to this option. There is another option of renting the home; this also has benefits and pitfalls. Get well informed about all of these options to save problems in the future.
Another consideration is the cost factor. It may not seem to be appropriate to bring up money as you feel this is something that you want to do for your loved one however it is extremely important that your elderly relative does not become a financial burden. This can be a major deciding factor. Caring for people is expensive and as time goes on your elderly relative may require many medications, physical aides and your home may also require further modification or remodeling.
Even after all this is decided there needs to be other plans in place. What happens when your elderly relative becomes too frail or ill for you to continue care? Then the nursing home option will need to be considered.
There are many considerations in choosing a nursing home for your elderly relative. Location is high on the list. They have been living with you for some time, and will initially miss the close contact you had with them. If they are close by you will be able to visit frequently to assist in their settling in to a nursing home. Other important considerations will come under cost and level of care provided.
It is always an excellent idea to visit all of the reputable nursing homes in your area. Make appointments and see for yourself what the facility has to offer. Meet with management and employees and obtain information that is important to you. For example ask about daily activities, menu, medical care, emergency care, palliative care and how complaints are managed. Observe the residents in the facility, do they look well cared for and how do the employees address them? It is important that you feel the residents are respected by the nursing home employees. It is also important that the nursing home's visiting hours are not too restricted. This will allow you to visit when it suits you. As a general rule there should be some visiting hours available in the morning and afternoon of each day.
There are many considerations to be taken into account; after all, this is a big decision. It may be one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. Everyone feels some obligation to provide care to and elderly relative, however this is not always possible or appropriate. There will be many impacts to your life, elderly relative's life and the entire family's lives. There are practicalities that need to be assessed and thought through carefully. Thorough planning is essential to decide on the best care options for your elderly relative.
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