Being Honest with Yourself about Your Elderly Care Limits
Elderly Care in Kentwood MI
Do you have any idea what your parents have in mind for the future of their elderly care? According to a study by MORE magazine that was shared by the AARP, about 26 percent of adults do not.
That is nearly a third of the adult child population that does not know what their aging parents want in the future regarding their care and support, or what they expect from their children.
Even more startling than that statistic is that nearly half of adult children say that their parents have made no plans for their future. With the aging population increasing and the potential need for you to step into the role of family caregiver for your seniors, it is important that you take the time now to not only evaluate when your seniors have in mind for their future and their care as they progress through life, but also that you be honest with yourself and your aging loved ones about what you can and cannot accomplish within that role.
Here are more statistics explored in the June 2013 study:
• 78 percent of the study participants said that they would make a financial contribution to elderly care for their parents if both parents were still alive, but surprisingly, that amount went down to only 69 percent if the situation was that only one parent was still living.
• Women tend to be more willing to make direct changes to their daily lifestyle, while men are more willing to dip into their savings as a means of helping their parents.
• Women tend to be far more likely to be concerned about their future need to help support their parents than men their age.
• 49 percent of women and 57 percent of men feel that they should be allowed to live with their adult children in order to receive care.
What these statistics might show you is that elderly parents as a whole expect their adult children to be a major part of their ongoing care, which means that whether your parents have talked to you about it or not, you should be thinking about what this means for you and how far you are willing and able to go to give your parents the care, support, and assistance that they need in order to live the highest quality of life possible.
Some things to keep in mind when being honest with yourself about your elderly care limits include:
• Distance. Do you live close enough to your parents to offer them daily care? Would you be willing to move closer to them or to have them move closer to, or even in with, you and your family to receive care?
• Finances. Do you have the financial capability to help your parents with their bills, medical expenses, housing expenses, and other costs of living? What are your expectations regarding their financial contribution to their care or to your assistance? What are you willing or unwilling to give up in order to have the money to help them?
• Physical capability. Do you have the physical health and strength to give them the type of care that they need? Would you be safe and healthy offering hands-on care such as helping with transferring or mobility?
• Comfort level. Are there tasks that your parents might need assistance with that you simply cannot see yourself handling such as dressing, bathing, or toileting? Are you willing to hire an elderly health care services provider to step in and provide these services?
If you or someone you know needs help with elderly care in Kentwood, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
http://blog.aarp.org/2013/09/18/sally-abrahms-what-are-we-willing-and-not-willing-to-do-for-mom-and-dad/
- What Your Senior Needs When Going to the Hospital - April 17, 2024
- 5 Things to Calm Your Senior Parent with Alzheimer’s - April 10, 2024
- Tips and Tricks for Helping Seniors With Spring Cleaning - April 3, 2024