It isn’t always an easy decision to decide to have someone look after our parents. Oh, if only we live in a perfect world where we can leave our jobs, provide for our families, and take care of our elderly. But alas, that is not the kind of world we live in. More than 50% of primary caregivers at home say that caregiving takes a toll on their productivity at work, while more than 75% say that it affects their families.
This is why many families for a residential dementia care home in Maidstone, Kent for their parents. It relieves them of the responsibility of daily caregiving. You can also opt to hire a caregiver at home. This person will stay at your parents’ home to primarily care for them. This way, you can monitor how your parents are doing, as well as spend time with them, but not have it affect your career and family life.
Understand Your Parents’ Needs
What kind of care does your parents’ need? Can they still bathe themselves? Can they still walk? Can they cook for themselves? These are the basic care that a caregiver can provide—cooking, transportation, companionship, and bathing. If your parents need medical assistance, you need more than a caregiver. You need a registered nurse. That will cost more, so it can be more viable if you can let them stay in a nursing home.
Assess Your Finances
How is this caregiver going to be paid? If you’re swimming in money, then that’s well and good. You can pay them from your own pockets. But if you are also struggling to make ends meet, then this is going to pose a problem. Talk to your siblings about your options. Is it better for one of you to be the primary caregiver or all of you to chip in to pay an in-home caregiver? Don’t forget to check government and nonprofit programs that offer financial assistance.
Ask for Recommendations
Your contemporaries—friends, relatives, and coworkers who are the same age as you—are going through the same thing. They’re also navigating this life wherein their parents now need them as opposed to them needing their parents. Ask for recommendations. Who among them has found the most practical setup for their elderly parents? If someone used a caregiving agency, ask for that agency’s contact details. You should hire someone from the agency.
Interview as Many Applicants as Possible
Talk to as many candidates as possible. Talking to them face to face will make you understand who’s the better fit for your parents’ needs. It is also important that your parents chime in the decision of choosing the caregiver for them. They should be comfortable with their caregiver. They should feel that they can ask for help anytime.
Facing the reality that your parents need help can be disconcerting. After all, your parents have always been your superheroes. It’s weird to see them so physically powerless and unable to fend for themselves. But this is the only time when you can finally give back to them. Finding the best solution for their needs now will lead to a better relationship in the years ahead.