The average cost for a nursing home is $6,844 per month, and that’s a lot of money.
If your elderly parent cannot afford this price or you feel like this is too much money to spend, you might be considering moving your parent into your home.
Moving an elderly parent into your home is a loving and caring thing to do, but it might require some work and preparations.
As you start planning for your elderly loved one to move in with you, you’ll need to begin the work. Here are some of the primary steps you might need to complete to prepare for this event.
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Prepare the Bedroom
When you’re helping elderly parents by allowing them to move in with you, it’s vital to give them their own space. You’ll need to determine which room to give your parent before he or she moves in, and you’ll need to prepare it.
To prepare the room, you should remove everything from it except the necessities. In other words, you should not keep the room’s current purpose and try to fit your parent there. Your goal should be to make this room exclusively for your parent.
Your parent will need only a few things in the room, and you can decide if you want to use your things or theirs. For example, you’ll need a bed, dresser, nightstand, and a lamp.
These are the necessities, and you can determine if you need other things or not.
Modify the Bathroom
The next step is to modify the bathroom that your parent will use. The bathroom is a vital area for an older adult, and bathrooms can be dangerous. Therefore, it’s essential to make some changes to this room to create a safe environment.
For example, you could replace the toilet with a senior toilet. If you don’t want to do this, you can purchase a senior toilet top to place on your existing toilet. This top raises the height of the fixture, making it easier and safer for elderly people.
Adding handlebars and safety railings can also be helpful when modifying a bathroom. You may even need to replace your tub or shower with one that provides easier access for your parent.
Some people must make many changes in their bathrooms to accommodate older adults, while others may only require minor changes.
Ensure That the Hallways Are Safe
The next step in preparing your home is ensuring that the hallways are safe for your parent to get through. If your parent is in a wheelchair, you may need to hire a contractor to create larger doorways for them to use.
The hallways allow your parent to move throughout the home instead of being trapped in just one room.
As you work on clearing out the hallways, you might want to modify any other areas of the home that your parent will use while living there.
The goal is to make sure your parent can safely and independently get to all the necessary rooms in the house.
Rent a Storage Unit and Decide What to Bring
When taking care of elderly parents, you might need to rent a storage unit to store their things. Moving an elderly parent out of their home is a major event in their life, and they might not be ready to get rid of all their things.
To help your parent feel better about the move, you might want to place their things in a storage unit instead of getting rid of the items. Your parent might feel more secure knowing that they don’t have to get rid of everything they own.
Make the Room Look and Feel Like Home
As you clean out your parent’s house, you’ll have to decide what to bring with to your home and what to store. You’ll want to make sure the room feels like home, so you should bring some personal items that your parent treasures.
For example, you could display family photos on the walls in his or her room. You could bring a favorite blanket and pillow. If your parent has a pet, bring that, too.
If you can create a home-like atmosphere in the bedroom, it could help the transition run a lot smoother for your mom or dad.
Hire a Home Health Company to Care for Your Elderly Parent
One thing that many people don’t realize when caring for their elderly parents is the amount of work it takes to provide the care they need.
If you think that caring for your parent will be easy and that it won’t take a lot of time, you might want to rethink this event. It takes time and work to care for a parent, but there is an answer that works well for these situations.
You can hire a home health company to provide services for him or her. If you see here, you can view all the services and benefits of hiring a home healthcare company.
Work Out a Financial Plan
The final tip to consider is the financial aspects of caring for elderly parents, Your expenses will increase after you move your parent into your home, and you’ll need to find out how to handle this increase.
If you are financially secure, you might not mind paying the extra expenses. If you are barely getting by financially, you could work out an arrangement with your parent to help you cover the expenses.
You can talk to a home healthcare company to learn about all your options.
Research This Subject to Learn More
Moving an elderly parent into your home is a long and selfless act, yet it will require some work.
Make sure you complete all the preparations before your parent moves in, and don’t forget to make a plan for your parent’s physical and health needs.
If you enjoyed reading this article and want more information about preparing your home for your parent’s arrival, keep reading our blog.
