How to Participate in Elderly Parents' Care

Care of elderly parents is becoming more of an issue as people live longer. Often elderly parents and their children are separated by miles. How do the children participate in their parents' care? Read on for a few helpful tips.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Good long distance program if you live a ways away
• Written permission to be a part of parents' ongoing care

1. The most difficult step is to get your parents to give you permission to be included in their medical care. One of the children should have legal clearance to be a part of medical decisions. This is important should they both be injured and unable to speak for themselves. Your parents should have a Living Will, a regular Will and Medical Power of Attorney designated to one child. If they have more assets, they may also have trusts in place. You should be aware of the name of their attorney, if they have burial plans in place and their exact wishes concerning their remains.

2. If you live away from your parents, you should be in touch at least once a day after they are found to be in failing health. Age is not a criteria. Some people are able to manage their own affairs right up to death, others begin to fail early in life. If you have power of attorney, stay in touch with their medical professionals so you can keep abreast of how things are going. If they have a care giver, you will want to monitor their care. Most care givers are good people who want to help, but every once in a while, a caregiver will be abusive or after
   the elders' money. If you know someone living in the area, someone you trust and who is willing, perhaps you can ask them to check on your parents every week or so and report back to you.

3. There are things you can do to help out if you live in the same community. When you cook your meals for your family, make extra for your parents. Either invite them to join you, or take meals to them. This will decrease the chances of someone forgetting to turn off the stove, etc. You can also find pill sorters and sort pills for them. Keep the medications at your home and take only the sorted pills to them. Make certain the sorter is clearly labeled as to day. Call you parent in the morning to remind them to take their pills and what day it is.

4. If your parents' minds are good, you can also reassure yourself by purchasing alarm systems which can be used to notify the local fire department if they fall. Also, if they have good mental faculties, ask them what would be the most help. Maybe doing their laundry or hiring someone to clean once a week.

Tips & Warnings

• Never forget that these are the people who took care of all your needs for the majority of you life.
• Whatever sacrifice you make for them will not compare to their sacrifices for you.
• Always watch to see if your parent has bruising or indications of memory problems.
• Also watch the relationship between the two if both remain living. Loss of mental stability may cause one or the other to become abusive when they have never been so in the past.