Elderly Family Members and the Holidays

The holidays are a time for resting and connecting with family. This can be a great time to catch up on what’s going on with each other’s lives, but it can also be used as a time to make sure that everyone in your family is doing all right. Elderly parents or grandparents that live alone can be checked up on, and you can get a better idea of whether or not they are able to continue caring for themselves.

 

Hopefully, this brief article can help make this process go more smoothly.

 

There are a few things to consider when deciding whether a loved one needs care or not. First, evaluate whether there is actually a need. If so, what kind of need? Is it a physical disability? Dementia? Something else? Knowing what the situation is can make your decision making process a lot easier later on. Somethings can easily be handled by a family member, other issues require the assistance of a professional or even a nursing home.

 

The holidays can be a great time to connect with family that we don’t see often and make sure they are taking care of themselves.

 

If you think that care is necessary, consider where your loved one lives, and what other family members are closeby. If you’re unsure about whether help is necessary, having someone that you trust checking in on them once in a while can give you more information and help you to make the right choice with them.

 

Finally, think about whether or not you’ve ever spoke to your mom or grandparent about care before. If not, now might be a good time to start this conversation. Even if care seems like it is far off in the future, getting the conversation started now can plant the seeds of thought and help you to make the best decision possible with their help.

 

Unfortunately, some form of dementia is common in the older population. According to at least one survey, 50 percent of those that are age 85 or older suffer from some sort of dementia. This doesn’t necessarily need to be something terminal, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but it does indicate that cognitive decline becomes more and more common as people age.

 

If you will be visiting with elderly loved ones this holiday season, keep this in mind. Even if they seem to be in good health, they may benefit from having someone checking in on them with more frequency. Cognitive decline doesn’t mean that someone is unable to care for themselves, but it does mean that they will need more assistance and supervision. A family member or a friend checking in on them once in a while can be a good place to start. If more supervision and help becomes needed, an in-home caregiver can give them the assistance that they need and still allow them to maintain their independence.

 

Sometimes, you might not know the right course of action. In this instance, feel free to get in touch with us. Our free consultation service is designed to help with this process and answer any other questions that you might have about senior care and how it fits in with the life of your family members.

 

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