The Ultimate Guide To Caring For Aging Parents

Aging is a natural process that can’t be avoided. The years go by and we slowly get older and transition into new phases of life. As adult children, we take on new responsibilities like chasing a fulfilling career, raising a family, enjoying adventures with furry friends, and eventually, caring for our aging parents.

For some people, providing care simply means doing occasional minor chores like cleaning the gutters or hanging Christmas lights. For other adult children, care involves medical appointments and discussions of the best living arrangements for parents who aren’t self-sufficient anymore.

Regardless of your situation, caring for aging parents requires knowing your options and recognizing what your parents need from you. In this guide, we’ll offer tips on how to care for aging parents. You’ll find useful resources and learn how to create a care plan that addresses your needs and the needs and desires of your parents.

How To Develop a Care Plan for Aging Parents

First and foremost, a care plan should be designed around the well-being of your senior parents. At the end of the day, arrangements should be tailored to suit your parents’ specific needs and address areas where they aren’t able to be self-sufficient.

To develop a care plan, it helps to understand the basic activities that contribute to emotional and mental well-being. These are just as important to overall well-being as your parents’ physical abilities. By understanding which activities your parents can perform daily and which ones they struggle with, you can craft a care plan that will address their physical, emotional, and mental needs.

Start by taking into account activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. These two categories identify basic activities that ensure the happiness and safety of seniors. 

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADL)

On a fundamental level, certain daily actions make up a safe and healthy living environment. If your parents can’t meet these needs on their own, you may need to hire outside help or consider changing their living arrangements.

Here are the main activities of daily living:

• Having essential mobility, including getting out of bed, sitting down and being able to get back up, and so on
• Getting dressed
• Feeding themselves
• Maintaining personal hygiene, including bathing, showering, brushing, flossing, and shaving
• Using the restroom, including walking to the toilet, cleaning, and being able to get up off the toilet.

In essence, these daily activities are essential to overall well-being. As we age, mobility issues and ailments such as Alzheimer’s or arthritis can make these tasks more difficult. If your parents have problems completing these tasks, ask yourself if you can help or if they need more skilled support. 

You can also purchase equipment and tools that make these tasks simpler. For example, if your parents have a hard time getting up from the toilet or feel unsteady in the shower, installing metal bars or a shower chair can make the job easier. Additionally, you may want to look for dining chairs with arms that offer support when sitting down and getting up, or get your parent a cane, walker, or similar device to help them move more easily throughout the house.

Identifying which essential daily activities they need help with can form the basis of your care plan.

INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (IADL)

In addition to ADLs, it’s important to take into consideration other activities that aren’t fundamental but are still important to mental, emotional, and physical health. 

These are known as instrumental activities of daily living and include:

• Cleaning and caring for the home or apartment
• Shopping for necessities, including groceries
• Cooking meals
• Taking care of finances, including paying bills 
• Knowing and taking prescribed medications when required

Parents often struggle with these needs before they need help with their essential daily activities. They may stop cooking meals if they’re by themselves or they may stop driving as their vision becomes impaired or they feel uncomfortable on the road. Whatever the case, addressing these needs can help your parents stay in their own home longer and avoid more extensive care. 

How To Make Decisions on Living Arrangements and Finances

When it comes to caring for aging parents, it’s particularly important to address living arrangements and finances. These two elements are essential in the overall well-being of your parents as well as their ability to manage their care needs.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Several different living arrangements can meet the needs of aging parents. The best options will depend on a combination of what your parents want and the level of care they require. Here’s a look at the options.