Realising that your elderly parent can no longer cope living independently is a difficult part of adult life, and it is even harder to broach the subject and have that conversation with them. By staying on their own they may start to put their own safety at risk, and as much as many elderly people don’t want to hear it, it is important to raise your concerns with them in a calm way when you notice that they are struggling.
It may be that they are struggling physically but not mentally, or vice versa – it is important to seek medical help if you feel that they have a condition which they do need assistance with. For many people, they need to help and support their parents in moving into a place where they can be safe, and many people decide that the right thing to do is to move them into their own family home.
If this is something that you are thinking of here are some things that you should consider beforehand…
If they have a medical condition that they need help with it is important that you liaise with doctors and get as much information as you can to understand how you will manage this.
You may need to adapt your home to suit their needs – look into stair lifts, hand rails and WAV vehicles like these from Clarke Mobility.
Speak to other members of your household to make sure that they are happy with the situation and aware of the changes that may need to be made to the house.