As hard as it may be to accept, aging is a fact of life. If you have elderly relatives\u2014parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, or even older siblings\u2014you may find yourself in a position where you need to provide care. If this is new and uncharted territory for you, it probably feels a little overwhelming. Here is a short guide to caring for an elderly relative to help you out.<\/p>\n
The first step to caring for an elderly relative should be to carefully think about what their care needs are, and to research how best to address those needs. Is your loved one struggling with mobility issues? Has their memory started to falter? Are they still able to carry out day-to-day tasks with relative ease?<\/p>\n
Talk to them and assess their situation on a regular basis\u2014things can change suddenly and drastically. Once you\u2019ve identified what type of help your loved one needs, you should do some specific research to find out how you can help. Ask a doctor or a medical professional for advice and look online for solutions.<\/p>\n
As people age, mobility<\/a> becomes more difficult. Muscles weaken over time, and once this happens, it\u2019s difficult to undo it. If your relative suffers a fall and hurts themselves, recovery can be slow, and they may not get back to the same level of mobility that they had before.<\/p>\n Take a close look at your relative\u2019s home. Are mobility issues making home life more difficult? If so, they may need you to make one or more of the following changes to their home:<\/p>\n Changes to the home are an easy way for you to improve your relative\u2019s home life.<\/p>\n Nobody likes talking about money, but remembering to pay bills on time and deal with other financial issues<\/a> such as pension payments is incredibly important. If your loved one is struggling to cope, offer to help. Make a list of their outgoing monthly costs and see if they could be saving money on any of them. Offer to organize all bills for them to save them the stress of money worries.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a difficult conversation to have, but at some point, you may need to talk about more hands-on care options for your family member. If their care needs are becoming more numerous, a live-in caregiver might suffice, but your relative should also consider moving into a care facility.<\/p>\n\n
Assessing Finances<\/h2>\n
Consider a Care Facility<\/h2>\n