If you have an elderly relative, be it a parent, grandparent, or someone else that you know who is no longer able to do things for themselves, this can be rather hard to witness, because it makes you realize that there is an end to things, and we can’t stay young forever. While this is never easy, it is important that you make sure that your loved one is getting the right care, as they aren’t capable of doing simple tasks like they once could.
There are many options out there that you have, it all just depends on what they want, as well as what you and the rest of the family deem appropriate.
Here are the options that you have.
Looking after them at home
If you decided that you want to take on the responsibility of looking after your loved one yourself, be it at your own home or theirs, then there may be a few things that you will need to get to make sure things are more accessible.
For example, if there are stairs in the home, you may be slightly worried about the risk that these could cause by a simple misplacement of footing. Not only that, but they may not be able to walk up and down stairs like they once could because they’re in pain, or their legs don’t work as they once did.
So if this is the case, then you will want to get a stair lift to carry them from A to B without ever having to worry. You should also think about the bathroom and what you could add to make going to the toilet easier. It might be too low down for them, so you can get an extra seat or frame to raise it up. The same goes for the bath or shower.
If your relative has Alzheimer’s or dementia, it can be worth looking into arranging specialist memory care at home. This allows them to carry on living their lives, but with added support from professionals familiar with memory issues and can help them navigate their lives and their home.
Nursing home
If you’re no longer able to give your loved one around the clock care – this is okay. Don’t beat yourself up or feel as though you’re letting them down, because you’re not. It’s a tough job, especially if you have your own family to look after and a job to keep hold of. At least with a nursing home, you know that there are medically trained professionals that will only be a few steps away.
If you have any reason to believe that there is foul play taking place within the home though, then you will want to contact a nursing home abuse attorney as they will be able to build up an efficient case and make sure that your loved one not only gets the compensation and care that they deserve, but that someone also gets held responsible and taken down for this.
This is, of course, the worst case scenario, and while there have been reports of things like this happening – it doesn’t mean that it does everywhere. There are some amazing care homes out there to offer a wonderful experience for all their guests and ensure they are always well looked after.
