Seeing your parents age is a hard thing to do. A lot of individuals look up to and find confidence in their parents. They may have raised you alone and never needed help around the home since they were self-sufficient. But as they get older, they lose strength in their muscles and bones, and the frailty that comes with aging can prevent them from doing certain things. For that reason, support is needed.
It’s not always easy for parents to admit when they really need help. After all, no one enjoys being informed that they’re getting old. If you have a hard time finding answers, below are some things to consider as you make important decisions for your folks and the services they may require the most.
What Services Do Seniors Need Most?
As our parents age, they will begin having difficulty with everyday activities such as food preparation, housekeeping, and personal care. So what can you expect as they get older? What are the tasks older people need help with the most? Here are a few of the required services that aging parents usually need help with:
Transportation and Mobility
The majority of seniors experience a decline in mobility, and they get worn out more quickly, making it hard for them to go places. In addition to that, their vision and reactions will worsen, making things like driving unsafe for them. Luckily, many types of long-term care services include transportation and daily assistance with mobility when needed.
Medical Attention
Seniors may require medical attention for a number of reasons. Doctor visits and eye care are necessary, but other services, like physical or mental therapy, must also be maintained. In some situations, a facility or home health care in Fairfax, VA, can help seniors who require support with tasks such as taking medications and injections.
Nutrition
Malnutrition is common among the elderly. Difficulties with purchasing and preparing food can make it more challenging to meet dietary needs. As an added complication, some medications and health problems can trigger changes in appetite, contributing to older people skipping their meals.
Therefore, food and nutrition assistance is a highly popular service among the elderly. Services varying from in-home chefs to nutritional experts can help seniors obtain essential nourishment and other needs.
Social Interaction
For many seniors, life can be ruined by a lack of companionship. A person’s psychological and physical welfare can be considerably improved when they have solid connections with other people. Aging adults can experience actual physical symptoms when they are alone.
If you have a senior parent, it is essential to invest in respite care services that will allow them to maintain a healthy social life. This could be in the form of a caregiver who simply spends time with the senior or a transportation service that makes it much easier for the senior to attend social activities.
Personal Care
When a senior’s physical or mental health declines, so does their personal hygiene too. Basic regimens for self-care, like washing, brushing one’s teeth, changing into clean clothes, and shaving, can become tiring or confusing.
And the only choice is to help them. However, sometimes an older person would rather get help bathing from a trained expert than a family member. It protects their personal privacy around loved ones. There are many companies that offer these types of services, such as Karma Care, which provides professional and compassionate care to seniors who need assistance with daily living activities.
Final Thoughts
Caring for your parents can be an overwhelming responsibility. Fortunately, there are lots of resources and care alternatives out there, including in-home care. Remember, you can assist your aging parents in keeping their health and freedom for as long as possible by figuring out what they need and finding the best way to get it.
