5 Essential Tips for Caring for Senior Parents

According to the 2020 APR research report on caregiving in the U.S., more than one in five adult Americans are caregivers in some capacity. The total estimate of nearly 53 million adults in the U.S. that currently provide care has grown from 43.5 million in 2015. Additionally, the proportion of adult Americans providing care for two or more recipients has raised from 18% to 24% since 2015, potentially due to:

• The aging baby boomer population.
• Limitations and shortages in healthcare and long-term care services and support.
• Increased efforts to facilitate at-home or community-based services.
• Increases in the identification of supportive care activities as “caregiving.”
  

The demographics of caregivers remain largely unchanged over-time. Care is largely provided by relatives (89%) and there are many things that adult caregivers may need to be aware of in regards to providing the necessary care to their senior parents. This article will outline 5 essential tips that caregivers may need to be aware of and prepare for to provide care to aging seniors in their family.

1. Assess the Individual Needs of the Senior

The first step to providing care is assessing the current needs of the senior. Caretakers must be aware of how the needs of the seniors may change over time as they progress in age or have medical complications that arise. This assessment can provide insight into the necessary amount of daily, weekly, and monthly care that needs to be accounted for. Caregivers also need to be aware of the emotional health of the seniors and respect their need for independence.

For example, a senior with a mobility or memory impairment may need more direct daily care, while a senior living independently may only need transportation assistance. Providing daily care for essential tasks like eating and toileting may encourage the caregiver to seek out additional, full-time home care services, while a more independent senior may only need occasional visits or assistance with specific tasks on a regular basis.

2. Use Support Services

By assessing the individual needs of the senior, a caregiver can understand what level of care they can personally undertake, and what care may be unreasonable to provide. Providing an unreasonable amount of care can lead to caregiver burnout and unhealthy repercussions. Types of support services for caring for senior parents may include:

• Home meal delivery: Meal planning and nutrition habits may become difficult as seniors age. Some services such as Meals on Wheels deliver pre-cooked meals to the residence of the senior. There are also grocery delivery services that can deliver pre-ordered groceries to the senior’s residence.
• Transportation: There are different transportation methods and services that can be utilized to transport seniors of different capabilities to their outings and necessary medical appointments. This may include hiring a part-time driver or using senior-specific rideshare options, including using a chauffeur agency that offers daily transportation using the senior’s own vehicle to provide a familiar and comfortable environment.
• Errand and task services: Seniors may need assistance with day-to-day non-medical activities. This may include managing appointments, housekeeping, laundry, providing companionship, lawn maintenance, house repair, or even scheduling entertainment and activities.
• Personalized care: Some senior needs may extend beyond errand and task services. This may include assistance with daily living activities such as dressing, bathing, or toileting. These personal care services may also be called “private duty care” and provide senior assistance for tasks that require advanced skills or certifications.
• Specialized or medical care: Some seniors may have specific needs for health conditions that require specialized care beyond personalized care. This may include memory care, medical care for specific conditions and diseases, and hospice care.

3. Consider Financial Resources

The economic impact of family caregiving can result in significant financial consequences for families. More than half of caregivers are employed and yet for many states, family leave is unpaid; making it financially stressful and difficult to provide care. 36% of caregiver adults over the age of 50 report financial strain associated with their role as a caregiver, often due to employment-related costs such as reducing work hours, foregoing income, benefits, and career opportunities so that they can provide care.

It is important to consider costs when outsourcing care and support for seniors by looking for opportunities to combine different types of services. This may include covering the cost of a full-time personal driver that can also run personal errands, or looking for local community groups or medical organizations that can provide you with the financial help to ensure the safety and livelihood of the senior while paying for care.

4. Ensure Their Residence Is Safe, Accessible, and Secure

If you provide assistance and home care for a senior you may need to ensure that the home is safe for them. This may include addressing common accessibility and safety  risks by:

• Removing tripping hazards and adding non-slip or textured strips to slippery surfaces.
• Installing grab bars and railings for stairs, toilets, and bathtubs.
• Ensuring accessibility for important areas of the home such as the bathroom, bedroom, and living areas.
• Placing a waterproof seat or chair in the shower.
• Ensuring that the home has adequate lighting for poor vision.
• Ensuring that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are loud enough that the senior can hear them.
• Regularly checking the pantry for out-of-date food.
• Evaluating the safety of entrances and access points to the home.
• Replacing appliances with those that have automatic shut-off features.
• Setting the water heater to a maximum temperature of 120 degrees.

5. Take Care of Yourself and Ask For Help When You Need It

One of the most important aspects of providing care for senior parents is to ensure that you do not neglect your own mental, emotional, and physical health and needs. It is just as important to ensure that your needs are met with quality sleep, nutritious meals, drinking water, exercising, participating in fulfilling activities, and taking breaks as needed.

Caregiver health should be a priority. Though providing care is often viewed as a labor of love, many caregivers are ill-prepared for their role and suffer poor health consequences themselves, including depression, high levels of stress, and poor physical health that can develop into serious illnesses. Caregivers that prioritize their health can more effectively provide long-term care for their loved ones.