Tips for living with elderly parents

If your parents are getting on in years, you may be faced with two choices: An aged-care home, or moving one or both of them in with you. This can be a tough time for all involved- many elderly people prefer to stay in their own homes (for obvious reasons), and it can be difficult for parents with children to get used to having grandma or grandpa reliant on them.

Of course, the best way to ensure the transition goes smoothly is to prepare ahead of time. There are many things you can do to make the move easier for all involved, and here are just a few:

Prepare your home

If your elderly parent is disabled or struggles to get around, you’ll need to make sure that your home is ready. This means that you’ll need to remove any junk or clutter that could make using a walking stick, wheelchair, or walker difficult. Now may be a good time to have a yard sale or garage sale and get rid of any old furniture, books, children’s toys, clothes, and more.

If your bedrooms are not on the ground floor, you may need to consider getting a stairlift if your parent is unable to make it up the stairs safely. A curved stairlift is can be fitted if your staircase is curved, and can add value to your house- particularly if you live in an area with a lot of retirees.

Get help

Dealing with elderly parents is unlikely to be a walk in the park. Often, their bodies or their minds aren’t quite up to the tasks they used to be, which can place more stress on you- usually at a time when you’re raising your own kids. There are lots of options for help though- you could get a carer to come in and help during the day while you’re at work, outsource your cleaning or grocery shopping so there are fewer things on your plate, and take your friend’s up on those offers to babysit or invitations out for a nice dinner or a few drinks to talk about the situation.

Talk it out

Before your parent moves in, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is on the same page. Talk to your kids about what this means for them, and if you expect them to do any extra chores around the house, make this clear. Talk to your spouse about how these plans may impact your relationship, and talk to your parent about what they can expect and how you can make the move a success together.