Caring for Your Aging Parents

Children and grandchildren alike have the responsibility of caring for your elderly family. Whether that is having them live independently, with you, a 55 and older community or in an full time care facility, you want what is best for them and for you. Let’s talk about ways to help them thrive in their later years.

Help Schedule Their Appointments

While your loved one has been a the adult in charge for your life, they may need some help or at least checking on. Remind them to make annual appointments for their primary care doctor, as well as vision and hearing checks. You might want to consider adult day care software. It will help you to manage effectively. As we age, our body can take a toll. Be sure to talk to them about how they are feeling and how they are in their daily activities. If they have diabetes it is crucial to take them to extra doctor appointments, you really should look into foot care for seniors affordable Insulin Detemir to treat this disease. Not to mention that if they have dental care issues, you should check out dental solutions like general dentistry ballwin.

Help them Stay Fit

Getting daily physical activity is so important. They need to keep that body moving and as healthy as they can. Make sure they are still eating a well-rounded diet. Grab some healthy foods and make a surprise visit to them. They will be so happy to see you and will appreciate the thoughtful gesture. If you have an aging parent that recently had a surgery or procedure, watch them closely. Also, now that the healthcare sector may use Behavioral Health EHR software to manage the patient’s all medical history, you can easily get the hang of what medicines to buy or how to take care of the patient through their medical records. Such software can be beneficial for all sorts of diseases and disorders, to share the data within the family and medical professionals and ensure the patient gets all the necessary treatment when necessary.

Do they have Parkinson’s? Do you seem to notice they are not holding their pen or coffee cup as well? Using a hand dynamometer can help them test their strength. Are they walking less? Ask them why and see if they would be up for a short walk with you. When taking care of the elderly, it could be important to make sure you are equipped to face any medical emergency. Be it a minor scrape, flu, blood pressure variation, or bacterial infection, you can never be too prepared. Stocking up simple home medical supplies like a basic first aid kit, thermometers, saline/vitamin B12 Drip, or medical-grade splint could mean better health management of the seniors and that you always stay prepared to face the uncertain.

Encourage Independence for Simple Tasks

Your loved one is not as flexible and mobile as they were before, and so it is important to find clothing for them that they can don easily. Find clothes that are easy to wear to encourage them to be independent in their daily activities. Buy them adult pull-up diapers that are easy to put on just like regular underwear if they have problems with controlling their bladder or bowel. Get them slip-on shoes or sandals so they won’t have to tie shoelaces.

The goal is to have them change their clothes with minimal supervision by you or their carers. Allowing them to be independent when doing simple daily tasks motivates them to move and be active.

Help them with Prescriptions

With the medical and health care systems constantly changing it is easy to get confused or overwhelmed. A lot of doctors and medical information it provided through the internet, and your elderly parent may not know how to navigate it all. Have them provide you with a list of their medications, dosages, the doctors who prescribed it and how often they take it. With age comes many more medications and things can change often. In 2020, medical marijuana is prescribed to a lot of people for pain, insomnia, neuropathy, and anxiety. Glaucoma is among the most frequently cited reasons for using medical marijuana. If your loved ones live in a state where medical marijuana is legal, make sure you get their medical card in place first. For example, if you need a Texas cannabis card just schedule a telehealth doctor’s appointment for your aging loved one. Look into how they use it if prescribed and have the tools they may need like rolling papers and rolling trays.

Stay in Touch

Elderly people are used to being important and a needed person to many. Now with age they are in a new phase of life. They are probably retired, possibly lost their spouse and/or moved out from the home they raised their children in. All of this can be very depressing to them, and their loneliness may be having a toll on them. Visit them as often as you can. Simply sitting with them for a little while will greatly improve their demeanor. Talk to them about your day, your hobbies, the TV shows you have been binge watching. But always ask them questions. Let them talk to you about their memories and youth. Ask them about their childhood, their first job and other important milestones of their life.