Who Should Look After Your Aging Relatives?
Who Should Look After Your Aging Relatives? Are your aging relatives no longer able to look after themselves? Deciding who should care for them can be difficult – each form of care may come with its sacrifices whether you’re giving up time or having to spend extra money. Here are just a few of the different options to consider when looking for a way to care for an elderly loved one.
Look after them yourself
Becoming a carer for your aging relative could be an option. This could mean giving up a lot of your time but it could save you money on hiring care. Unless they live locally and you can visit regularly, caring for your elderly loved one may require them to move in with you. There are benefits that you can apply for as a carer to provide extra income.
Share care with other relatives
You may be able to share the responsibility of care with other relatives. This could give you more free time and could be more practical if you also have to work or have other commitments such as work and childcare. There may even be family friends who are willing to help.
Encourage independent care with technology
You may be able to use technology to help encourage independent care. This could be particularly the case if your elderly loved one has a physical disability and can learn to operate technology themselves. Such technology may require some investment from yourself. You may even find that there are grants that cover the purchase of certain equipment such as stairlifts, as well as the construction of features such as grab bars or walk-in showers.
Hire at-home care
Paying for professional home care could be another option if you have the money. This could be full-time care or temporary care. You could even share some of the care among you, your relatives, and hired home carers. At-home care could allow your aging relative to still live in their home. It’s worth doing your research into care services to find a carer that is within your budget and available when you need them.
Take them to a care home
A care home can sometimes be a necessary option for those that need around-the-clock care – especially if you have too many commitments to do it yourself or simply don’t feel you are up to the challenge. They can also be used for temporary care if you need some respite or if at-home carers are unable to care for your relatives on certain dates. Care home fees can be expensive, although costs can vary depending on the home. It’s worth visiting multiple care homes to find one suited to your needs.