There are a lot of positives when it comes to becoming a more mature adult. Your career is doing better. Your kids are moving out of your house. You are more financially stable. But one thing that can come as a curveball if you aren’t prepared for it is what you need to do about taking care of elderly parents. You probably envision your parents as being entirely self-sufficient. That’s true – until it’s not. And at that point, certain responsible decisions need to be made.
So what are some good pieces of advice when it comes to taking care of your elderly parents? First of all, if there are issues with communication, there’s no shame in going to a therapy session to have someone help you figure out how to talk to each other, especially if you decide you need to find them some assisted living facilities if you feel you can’t provide the care anymore. Second, check out the pros and cons of moving your parents in with you.
And third, make sure that you know how to recognize signs that something is going wrong if your parents are living in a situation outside of your immediate attention.
Therapy Is an Option To Help With Communication
It is normal to get in arguments with family members. However, if the time has come to start taking care of your parents, these arguments need to have better conclusions. In this case, you can go to family therapy sessions to open up ways to talk to each other. It is a different arrangement when children start taking care of their parents, so the power dynamic is going to change in potentially unexpected ways.
Learn the Pros and Cons of Moving Them In With You
What about having your parents move in with you? If you have a big enough space and think that you can handle it, this can work out for everyone. Your parents can help do small things around the house and you can bond as a family. However, if everyone is independent or personalities don’t necessarily match, then there is a smaller chance that this will be the solution everyone is looking for.
Sometimes you can try a trial period just to see if you and your parents can be in the same place for a few days rather than making it a permanent decision.
Keep Track of Situations Outside of Your Immediate Visibility
Sometimes there are bad things that happen because of your elderly parents not being able to take care of themselves entirely. There are instances of nursing home abuse as an example. Individual employees think that they can get away with abusive patterns of behavior because older people don’t have the necessary support checking in with them.
Make sure this doesn’t happen with your parents. If they do go to a nursing home, check in regularly to make sure they are being treated like they should be. You should recognize though that employees that are willing to commit elder abuse often try to hide their actions as well.
