Its not uncommon at all for aging adults to want to continue to age in place, but is that feasible for your senior? These are some of the considerations you need to address.
Look at Your Seniors Main Needs
The first thing that you want to do is to look at what your senior needs now and is likely to need in the future. It helps if you have a full picture of her health concerns both now and down the line. You might want to set up a conversation with her doctor in order to be certain that you have the information you need. When you understand what she’s going to need, you can start to put together possible solutions now instead of waiting until something becomes emergent.
Determine if Mobility Is a Concern
When you’re considering main needs, one of the biggest to look at closely is your seniors mobility. Is her mobility changing now or is it likely to in the near future? Being able to get around easily, especially within her home, is a key component of your elderly family member being able to take care of herself, even with your assistance now and again. Lack of mobility can cause your seniors situation to decline very rapidly, so this is something to assess individually.
Is She Okay with Having Help?
How open to assistance is your senior? If she resists help from you and from others, that might point to some potential for big trouble down the line. You might also want to bring up the option of hiring home care providers to give her more assistance now and in the future. If she doesn’t want to do this, she may not have the right mindset to be able to successfully age in place.
Is She Likely to Change Her Mind?
Sometimes aging adults mention that they want to age in place, but that’s not fully what they’re prepared to do. Your seniors health and her circumstances might change dramatically and with very little notice, either for her or for you. If she’s likely to change her mind at all, you want to make sure that you’ve got a backup plan that you can put in place as quickly as possible.
All of these concerns can help you to ensure that your elderly family member has what she needs to be able to age in place gracefully and safely. She may feel stubborn about some of these issues now, but things can change rapidly.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in St. Louis Park, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
