As your parents age, your own family may be growing in size. You may have multiple children, a house full of collections, and a few pets to top it all off. However, there may come a time when you are faced with the task of moving your parent in. While this can be a blessing in many ways, it can also be a source of frustration because of the changes that will have to be made. It is not as though the effort is not worth it. It is just that it can be overwhelming for many people, especially those who did not expect this day to come so soon.
Consider Movement Between Floors
If you have a home that has more than one story, you may want to make sure that your elderly parent will have an easy way to go up and down the stairs. Even if you are able to move some rooms around so he or she can have a bedroom on the first floor, it would still be nice to know that they can travel freely throughout the house as they please. This is especially important when you have children in the home who might want grandma or grandpa to check out something cool in their room. You do not want them to miss out on any special bonding moments.
Of course, this means that you will want to look into something such as an EasyClimber. You can have a stair lift or even an elevator installed in your home. Many people worry about their children wanting to turn the grandparent’s stair lift into a riding toy. While we can understand their temptation, it is important to know that as long as you are setting some firm rules that simply state that your children are to never touch it. Once they respect the fact that it is a medical device that is used to help their family member, they may be less likely to view it as a toy.
Special Bonding With The Family Pet
One concern that a lot of people have when they move their aging parent into their home is whether they will start to become lonely and depressed during the day. This is especially true for the households that have all adults working long hours. The kids might not even be around as much as you would like, simply because of the long list of after-school activities that they are involved in.
To help comfort your parent, you will want to consider encouraging him or her to bond with the family dog. This will not only help lift the spirits of your parent, but it can really give your dog something to be happy about during the day while you are gone. It is a win-win for everyone. The relationship between your parent and your dog can help make sure that they are both staying alert, peaceful, and active throughout the day.
Making Time
While you may not need to give every waking moment that you are home to your parent, it is important to make sure that you are setting aside plenty of time to spend with one another. After all, there was a reason you moved him or her into your house in the first place. If you need a little bit of a break, because your parent requires a lot of assistance, you should consider hiring some home health care help that will come into the home. Then, more of the time that you get to spend with your parent can be done alone or with the entire family. This will ensure that there are many memories being made.
If you were not sure as to whether you were ready to move your aging parent into your home, you should be much more prepared now.
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