If you have an aging parent with a desire to remain at home as long as possible, it’s important to look at different aspects to ensure it’s the right decision. According to an AARP survey, roughly 75% of adults age 50 and older prefer to stay in their home as they get older but aren’t sure if it’s possible. Depending on if your loved one has a serious medical condition or the inability to complete routine day-to-day tasks, it may not be the most ideal option to age in place. We’ve taken a look at some considerations to make to determine whether aging in place is a viable option.
Prepare The Home For An Aging Parent
Preparing the home is one of the most critical aspects to provide the most ideal independent living situation for an aging parent. Take a close look around the home and see what challenges they may face as they get older and their mobility may decline. Things like installing grab bars and a wheelchair ramp can be done at any time when it becomes necessary to do so. In rare cases, some rooms may need to be renovated to allow for more space and remove potential limitations with wheelchairs or other devices. Identifying all of the potential concerns with a home can be challenging if you haven’t had to do it before, so calling a professional to assess the home may bring you more peace of mind.
Know What Support Options Are Available
The support options available for an aging parent are essential for independent living. If family or friends are close enough to check on them frequently, then you can feel better about their safety in case something goes wrong. You can also consider hiring a caregiver to check on them more frequently, run errands for them, manage their medication, and much more if you don’t believe you’ll be able to provide a sufficient amount of care. If your aging parent has enough support available, then you can feel better about them aging in place without having constant supervision.
Always Evaluate Physical And Mental Health
When you’ve determined that aging in place is an option for your parents, continue monitoring their physical and mental health to ensure the situation doesn’t change. If you start noticing changes in their behavior or physical attributes, you may need to ask them questions about their living situation. Many older parents don’t want to ask their kids for help and believe they are capable of doing things on their own. Sometimes this means they neglect certain things that could be detrimental to their health and wellbeing.
Next Day Access believes everyone should be able to age in place if they can do so safely. We have a wide range of accessibility products and devices to help people with independent living. Whether you need a wheelchair ramp, a stair lift, a lift chair, grab bars, or anything else, we have you covered. And if you aren’t sure what exactly you need for an aging parent, we would be happy to provide you with a free home assessment. Be sure to contact us today to learn about the many options you have available.
