Is Your Elderly Parent Safe? Tips for Navigating the Aging Process

The process of aging can be fraught with a lot of ups and downs, especially in a case where there are no plans in place. That’s because with increasing age, many aspects of a person’s life as they know it can change. If you’re helping an elderly parent navigate this process, it’s best that you know what to do so that you can do what’s right for all involved. Here are a few tips to help you understand the right way to keep your elderly parent safe as they age and enjoy every moment that you can spend as a family.

Help Them Prepare an Estate Plan

An estate plan is one of the most important documents that an adult could have. That’s why you should start the process by making sure that your elderly parents have one in place. This way, they can spell out more than just the details of how they’d like their estate to be handled when they’re no longer there. They’ll also be able to set out the details of the care that they’d like to be taken of them if they end up unable to spell out their wishes clearly. In such a case, they may either appoint a legal party to act on their behalf or choose someone to be their guardian.

Keep in mind that proceedings for guardianship typically handle capacity as a static concept. This means that unless one has the capacity for everything, then they cannot have the capacity for anything, according to the ACLU. Their preferred guardian may have to file a petition that will be approved by the court, details about which you can find out from a legal professional.

Think About Finances

Money is an important part of aging since caring for an aging person can become an expensive endeavor. This is the main reason why you need to have a plan in place for your family finances. Doing this may be made easier once you know the various costs you can expect for the options of care that exist.

For instance, you may need to know that the average cost of a shared or semi-private room in a nursing home in New Jersey is roughly $11,000 per month. Such information can enable you to know the type of funding you may need to look for, if any. That’s because you could pool together as a family and raise the necessary finances to ensure your parents get the best care taken of them.

Ensure That the Home Is Safe and Secure

If your parents would like to age in place, then you must make sure that the house is safe and secure. From making sure that it’s hard for burglars to break into putting safety measures such as smoke detectors in place, there are various things to do. Keep in mind that 30% of all fires actually occur in residential buildings. This means that you must ensure that there are systems in place to keep your parent’s house safe and there’s also a safety plan in case a fire actually breaks out.

Don’t Forget to Think About Healthy Eating and Habits

Finally, maintaining good health is something that must be given the necessary attention. To this end, make sure that your elderly parents get the right quantities of healthy and nutritious meals. You can also set up a plan to help them keep as active as possible and generally lower the chances that they may develop a lifestyle disease. This way, they’re going to enjoy their old age a lot more.

When you make these considerations and put the necessary measures in place, you and your parents may have an easier time as they age. You’re going to have an amazing time as a family in this case, something that you shouldn’t take for granted. Do the necessary research as early as you can so that you know where and how to get whatever you may need throughout the process.