If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are currently caring for an aging parent, you know that it’s not always easy. Here are five of the most common challenges you may face, along with some tips for how to deal with them. From managing doctor’s appointments and medications to providing emotional support, there’s a lot to juggle when you’re caring for an elderly loved one.
Caring for an aging parent can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not without its challenges. As your parents begin to age, they may need more assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also need help managing their medications. Additionally, they may begin to experience cognitive decline and require help with decision-making. Here are five challenges you may face when caring for an aging parent.
- Not having the proper documentation and paperwork.
This is probably one of the most important things to have prepared. All it takes is a stroke, heart attack, or any other debilitating illness that places your parents in a situation where they can’t make their own healthcare decisions and the challenge begins.
Do you know their wishes? Do they want CPR? Who do they want to make their decisions for them if they cannot. Not having the proper paperwork in place could lead to the courts deciding who will make their healthcare decisions.
Each state has specific forms. You would want to look at an Advance Directive, Living Will, or Healthcare Power of Attorney.
2. Not being aware of the subtle changes that may indicate things aren’t going so well at home. We have an upcoming Free Webinar that begins this entire process of caring for your aging parent. It is Step One in our 3-Step Process called the “11 Signs Workshop.” We take a deep dive into 11 Signs Your Aging Parent May Need Help in the Home. You can register HERE.
What do you look for? It could be something obvious like seeing them 2 days in a row with the same clothes on or something a little more subtle like a pile of bills that appear not to have been paid.
3. Trying to manage your parents from “a distance.”
Whether you are an hour away or 1000 miles away managing from afar can create its own set of challenges. You may be busy with your career, your own family, plus now the added responsibility of managing the care of your aging parents. How do you make sure their needs are met when you can’t be there?
What are some options here. One option is to hire a professional patient or health advocate to help you manage their care and keep you updated on their status. This can take so much off your plate while reducing your stress and taking away your overwhelm. We provide these services and we also have a network of Board Certified Patient Advocates we can connect you with to make sure you have the advocate that is the right fit. You can learn more about our services HERE.
4. Time to Leave their Home.
Getting the buy-in from your aging parents that it is time for them to leave their home is a HUGE challenge and a very emotional one. You may need to find a good, assisted living facility or a nursing home or considering to bring them home with you.
When working with our clients, our goal is always to help your aging parents stay in their home for as long as safely possible. We help put the resources in place to make that happen. Sometimes, no matter what you have in place, the situation is no longer safe to allow them to stay home.
Your parents may have lived in their home for many years and what will you do with all their “things”. Emotional attachment when trying to downsize can make it seem impossible to get the job done. There are professionals that deal with decluttering and moving our aging adults and can offer some great discussions. We have a video we will link in the resources on this topic.
We recently completed an entire blog post on looking for an assisted living facility and we will include that in the resource section at the end of this blog post.
5. Finding Appropriate Resources.
You may have a fairly good idea of what they need but where do you find the resources and how do you put them in place? This can seem like a very daunting task. Lots of phone calls and then vetting all your resources. It may be home health, private caregivers, therapy or one of the many other resources needed to meet your parents needs. We have a professional healthcare resource directory of resources you may not have thought of and we will share that directory in the resources section of the blog.
Conclusion:
Caring for an aging parent is no easy task, but it comes with its own unique rewards as well. By being prepared for the challenges ahead, you can make the experience more manageable for both you and your loved one. Caring for an aging parent can be challenging but it’s also an opportunity to bond with your parents and create meaningful memories together. If you’re facing any of these challenges, know that you do not have to take this journey alone.
We also have a free private Facebook Community where everyone is welcome that are caring for aging parents. We have discussions, tips, strategies, and guest speakers all ready to help you navigate the healthcare system and your journey as an adult child of an aging caregiver. You can request to join HERE.
We look forward to seeing you back here soon.
Take care,
Pam and Linda
Your Nurse Advocates
Resources:
Blog Post Finding Assisted Living
Free Forum “Speaking Out on the Care of Aging Parents”
Patient Advocate Match Directory of Healthcare Professionals. https://patientadvocatematch.com/
