An inevitable part of adulthood is watching our parents grow old. It will never be easy watching the people that once took care of you require help with their everyday care. How long can they maintain their independence? How much care do they need? Are they better off staying with family, living alone or in an elderly care facility where they can have access to professional care services? With all these questions swimming around one’s mind, it’s understandable that you may feel somewhat overwhelmed. 

Naturally, we all want what’s best for our parents, but being so emotionally involved can sometimes make it difficult to make the most informed decisions. Here are a few factors worth considering when pondering options for the future care of an aging parent:  

Safety

A primary concern driving your decisions should be the safety of your parent. Will they be safe living independently? Will you and your family be able to give them the attention they need to keep them safe, or will they be safer in a care facility where they are surrounded by professional carers? What are the safety records of the care homes like in any case? The decision ultimately depends on their condition and how rapidly you feel they are aging. 

Loneliness

Social contact becomes increasingly important as people age. While keeping active and engaged is important, don’t underestimate the importance of having your loved ones maintaining some sort of social life. Being surrounded by people, alleviates loneliness and helps in lifting a person’s mood and general quality of life. 

Their Future Needs and Requirements

Your parents may seem fine right now, but you need to think about what the situation will be like further down the line. If possible, have a conversation with them about their future while it is still possible. For those with conditions such as alzheimers and dementia, serious decisions can become increasingly more complex as they deteriorate. 

The Financial Implications

You need to think about the financial implications of your parents’ care. While private elderly care facilities don’t necessarily come cheap, you should factor in the cost of taking time off work to care for them at home too. Some care facilities such as Husky Senior Care offer some great cost-effective payment plans that are well-worth exploring, 

Who Is Best Suited to Provide the Care? 

Finally, ask yourself whether you are capable of tending to your parent’s care and also whether you truly are the person best placed to do it. Naturally, we’d like to be the ones to look after our folks in their old age, but watching them deteriorate or get sick does take its emotional toll on a person. Sometimes hiring professional carers who are less emotionally invested in the relationship can have its benefits. 

Watching a loved one age is just a part of life we all have to deal with at one stage or another. It isn’t necessarily but asking the right questions and weighing up the pros and cons of each care option properly will help you make an informed decision that will make the lives of all parties easier in the long term.