Making your presence felt when your parents go into a care home
When a relative, especially a parent, goes into a care home, it can be a difficult experience for all involved. For them, they have lost their independence and are making a considerable adjustment which most of us can’t imagine. For you, you have to come to terms with the fact that your parents need assistance and that you have a responsibility for them rather than the other way around.
This can be made all the harder to swallow if you have moved away and can’t be there to check in all the time. You may experience feelings of guilt as if you have abandoned them. Although they most likely don’t feel that way, it will be an undeniably difficult time for everyone involved. However, there are a few things you can do to make the transition a little easier on all parties.
When it comes to hiring the best elderly care services, caringpeopleinc.com have some extremely helpful advice they’re more than happy to part with. They suggest that you should always plan ahead; prepare the home by installing in-home motion sensors, anti-scalding devices, and carbon monoxide detectors; they even discuss the option of hiring an attorney to look after the paperwork. All these little things can help show your loved one that although you may not be there, you still care and are doing your best to keep them safe.
For long-distance familial relationships, utilizing video communication apps such as Skype or FaceTime can be a great help. Download an Alert app onto your parents’ smartphone and put it somewhere obvious, like under their pillow or in their purse. This provides an ease of access and means they can message or phone you, even if bed bound.
Visit as often as you can and ask your friends and family members to do the same. Even if you can each only make it once a year, numerous spread out visits will make your parent feel like the most popular resident! Just a quick pop round for a chat and a bit of cake could make their week.
If you don’t have the time to write lengthy letters, little postcards and thoughtful notes are just as good. There are many services online that allow you to make personal cards at the click of a button. Minimal input, maximum output.
If the thought of your parent living alone at home becomes too stressful for you, you could consider relocating yourself or your parents – if their illness is not too severe. Of course, you could also consider placing them into a home, if this will give peace of mind.
Life gets hectic at times, and we can let all of our relationships slip, but don’t let your parent feel forgotten – there’s a lot of things you can do which require hardly any time, money or effort but which will give your parent the prioritization and validation they deserve.