How To Ensure That Your Senior Parents Are In Safe Hands When You’re Away

It is never easy to know what to do, and how to do it, when you need to make arrangements for your senior parents. If you are their caregiver, or if they both live with you, or you are the primary person who contacts them on a regular basis, then making sure their needs are being met falls to you. However, there are times when this might not be possible – for instance, when you need to go on a business trip, and your parents are back at home. You want to make sure that they are in safe hands while you’re away – and there are several ways to make that happen.

1. In-Home Nursing Care

Regardless of if your parents are simply older, or have specific medical needs, the idea of leaving them alone in their own home, when you’re away for a long period of time is just not an option. For one thing, they may fall and hurt themselves, they might even get lost. And it’s not only physical safety that we need to think about: seniors can become confused or disoriented sometimes.

It all comes down to the same thing – the elderly tend to like to stay in their own home, or with their kids, and if they suffer from dementia, moving them to a nursing home can cause more confusion than before! It’s not always easy taking care of them or having to make decisions for them, and getting them some assistance with personal care might just be the way to go. Even the most loving daughter or son cannot possibly provide the same level of attention that a professional can – they know how to handle challenging behavior, they are empathetic, and they are trained to deal with various medical conditions.

By hiring a professional that has the experience, but also cares about the people they take care of, you are giving your parents a gift. Not only will they have peace of mind knowing that their needs will be met, but you can go on with life without worrying too much while you’re away.

2. Ask Relatives To Help Out

Even if you are the one taking care of your parents, it’s more than likely that they have other family members that can equally help with their needs.

Some people are indeed more comfortable around certain age groups, but they’re usually is someone who would gladly spend time with them and make sure they’re fine, while you’re away. Ask a relative that you know has a good relationship with your parents, has some kind of understanding for what you do for your parents, and who’s good at taking responsibility. Offering them some kind of compensation is always a good idea since it will make sure they are there to help, and committed to it. Keep in mind that depending on the well-being of your parents, not everyone will be able to help you out – and that’s ok. You don’t want some take care of your parents half-heartedly!

Make sure that you have enough time to explain everything they’d need to do in detail, and even write some of the more important things down. Things like when they’re supposed to take their meds if there are some things or words that trigger them or anything else that’s imperative for your parent’s daily routine. Handing them a list is always a good idea – you can include important phone numbers in it and ways to reach you too.

3. A Live-In Caregiver

If you’re planning on being away for an extended period of time, it might be good to hire a live-in caregiver. There are many out there that can help with transportation, cooking, and even running errands – plus they can ensure your parent’s safety while they’re at home. They will be the ones to go with them to appointments and will check in with you if something seems amiss. 

Now, unlike an in-home nurse, this person wouldn’t have medical training, and perhaps may not even have previous experience in dealing with older people. During the interview process, it’s important to hash out if this is the case or not, and similarly to how you’d explain it to a relative – detail everything they’d need to know about what you expect them to do.

If possible, try to look for someone whose character you think would suit your parents. You don’t want them to experience unnecessary stress by being stuck with a person they don’t like 24/7. Someone that is kind, patient, hardworking, and understanding is always a person you should consider while checking on their work references.

By hiring the right people who are excited about this opportunity to take care of your parents, they will have peace of mind knowing that they’re in good hands. Being away from them is never easy, but by giving someone you can trust enough information so they can do their job properly – you can rely on them even more. The right person can even take some of the burdens off of you while you’re home as well! Having you well-rested can be beneficial not only to you but to your parents too.