Helping a Parent Age in Place

Aging in place is a popular option for elders who prefer to live at home as they get older, rather than moving into an assisted living facility. Seniors who are able to continue living safely in their own house have shown stronger independence and less memory-loss than those who make a living situation change later in life. ( https://www.visitingangels.com/knowledge-center/care-options/4-benefits-of-aging-in-place/348)

While aging in place can help ease financial burdens of moving into a facility, there are a few things to consider to ensure that your senior parent is safe and comfortable in their home. Below are three main talking points to start the conversation around aging in place. 

‍Start with Safety

You and your family will need to assess what risks your parent will face living alone while aging, and prioritize the ones that seem most likely to occur. Here are some to consider:

• Problems moving about the home, including slips and falls
• Medical emergencies
• Need for transportation
• Home maintenance
• Meal preparation - cuts and burns
• Isolation and depression
• Neighborhood crime and scams

For each of the risks you list, make a plan to: 1) mitigate risks, and 2) react as a coordinated care circle when things go wrong – basically, your family should create a plan saying who does what.

Prioritize Social Interactions

Friendship and human connections are imperative for slowing dementia and depression. (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220195)While spending time with family helps seniors maintain happiness and relevance, many adult children have busy lives and are unable to regularly visit.  Finding a local adult activity program gives seniors the chance to build in a routine of leaving their house and spending time with like-minded people. Adult activity programs offer an assortment of activities ranging from creative expression and crafts to social programs and bingo nights. Building relationships with new people is something that a lot of seniors miss out on. Adult activity programs bridge the gap between the loneliness that can set in from living alone with the independence of getting out and about throughout the week.

Building a Care Circle

Understanding how much support is needed to keep an aging parent in their home will be the foundation for crafting a care plan for aging in place. For example, if meal preparation is needed, there are services available to meet these basic needs to take the load off the shoulders of the primary caregiver. Make a list of any concerns that need to be addressed. Once you have a starting point, it will be easier to build out the detailed solution for each item. Regular communication will be important to make sure your parent is doing well, is safe, and is cared for.

The sooner your care circle can start having these conversations, the easier it will be. You don’t need to wait until your senior parent is struggling to begin putting together a plan and talking through what the future looks like. Take steps now to put a plan in place to age in place!