The circle of life is fascinating and heart-warming. For the first years of your life, you’re completely dependent on your parents for every piece of
The circle of life is fascinating and heart-warming. For the first years of your life, you’re completely dependent on your parents for every piece of sustenance you get from this world – and towards the end of their lives, the tables are turned, and it’s down to you to provide the help that they require to settle comfortably into their final years on this planet. In this short piece, we’ll be looking at how, where and when to relocate your parents to a better home – one where you can be sure they’ll be safe and comfortable.
When
You will often know when you should move your parents. This will happen after a fall that you feel could have been avoided in a different environment, or after you come to their home to find that they have been unable to get up for a day or two, or that they have not been able to perform basic chores for a week. You will know when you should intervene. Your intervention should be gentle yet firm – and you should begin looking at their options, together with them, form the moment you make up your mind that they are not safe as they currently live.
How
The how is a very important question when it comes to the plans for accommodating your elderly parents in a better location. For instance, you could simply find a bungalow that is set up for elderly people, but still gives your parents the space to be themselves, and to be independent. Meanwhile, you could consider hiring a carer to live in their home with them. But most children of senior citizens choose the assisted living option: it’s the most sensible and the most caring. Check out this piece on choosing assisted living vs. independent living to help you make your decision.
Where
You should think about where you want your elderly relatives to be relocated in their later years. Do you want them to live near you, so that it’s only a short drive from your family home to their new place? Or, do you want to keep them close to their old life, so that they’re around old friends and old neighborhoods that they can visit from time to time. Talk to them about where they’d like to live so that you are making a joint decision about their future.
Why
Many children of elderly parents think it’s not their duty to care for their parents – that their parents ought to have saved cash in their later years, and planned how to live out their lives in peace with a pension and a comfortable living situation. But, of course, sometimes things don’t work out so well – and sometimes you are called upon to show your responsibility and your compassion for elderly relatives in need. You should always look out for your parents and your in-laws, ensuring that they’re well cared for in their later years.
Use the above tips to pan the move that your parents desperately need in the future, with the help of professionals in the elderly care sector.
