You may already be wondering what you can do to make your parent’s life a little easier, to give back a little of the care they gave to you when you were young. Of course it’s only natural that you want your loved one to be able to stay living independently in their own home and experts agree this is the best option as the ‘No Place like Home’ report reiterates.
One thing you could do is to explore live-in care options as according to the Live-in Care Hub (www.liveincarehub.co.uk)this is one of the most practical and increasingly popular ways to ensure your parent gets the care that they need. You can also explore these suggestions for making your parent’s life that bit more comfortable.
1 Doorstep deliveries
If your parents are tech-savvy you could set up an account with their regular supermarket and take advantage of online grocery shopping and deliveries. Most stores allow online customers to set up a shopping list of things they need regularly which is a great help to those whose memory may be less than perfect. If they don’t have access to the internet set aside some time every week to do their shopping for them. Work with their local pharmacy to have their regular medications delivered to their home too. Make sure that there is always someone at home with your parents when deliveries are expected if they are nervous of answering the door.
2 Make the home and garden safe
If your elderly parents are becoming unsteady on their feet or they experience balance problems you need to safety-proof their home. This means rearranging the home and garden to ensure there’s nothing which they can bump into or trip over. When garden paths are moss-covered these can be dangerous especially in wet and icy weather. Clean them regularly with a proprietary patio cleaning fluid to prevent them becoming slippery.
If your parents are nervous in the home consider installing a home security system. External CCTV cameras plus a smart home hub system which remotely activates light and heating away from the home and which provides a video doorbell facility provide extra security.
3 Social activity is important
Encourage them to keep up with social activities and outings with friends. Offer to drive them there and back or arrange transport for them.
4 Check the heating
Older people have difficulty regulating their body temperature and this can cause illness. Make sure their heating system is up to date and maintained properly with a working thermostat to keep the house at a constant temperature according to the weather conditions.
5 Bathroom safety
If they’re having difficulty using the bath or toilet look into the feasibility of converting to a wet room or installing grab rails or a walk-in bath. Toilet difficulties can be solved by fitting a booster seat to aid getting on and off the loo.
Making the required tweaks to an elderly person’s life might not just make them more comfortable, but happier too. Which one of these tips will you try to make your loved one’s life a little better?
