Multigenerational housing is becoming more widespread every day. It’s typical for children and parents to live together, but there is an ever increasing number of senior citizens that are moving in with their family members, as well. Having three–or even four–generations living under the same roof is becoming commonplace in our society, stretching all the way to the White House itself. President Obama’s mother-in-law moved into the White House earlier last year, just highlighting how prevalent this has become.
Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with this trend. If you are a part of a family that is able to house an elderly parent or grandparent, you know, though, that it isn’t necessarily easy. Seniors have a different set of needs than what you might be used to helping with, and it’s a transition that can be tough to make successfully, especially if you are inexperienced in the world of senior care.
One easy solution is to use a professional senior care team to help you, but even this can be overwhelming just because there are so many choices out there. Unless there is some sort of major medical issue that requires frequent attention, though, in-home care is usually the best place to start. In-home care is actually ideal for seniors that are living with family members because it provides a cushion on their needs while you are away from the home at work or school or whatever else it is that you need to do. In-home caregivers can be scheduled while you are away so as to provide supervision and assistance while your loved one would typically be left alone. This eases the amount of stress put on them, of course, but it should also ease your mind that they are getting any help that they might need rather than being left to fend for themselves for the few hours you are away. It allows you to keep your job and your busy schedule kept up with, and it also makes sure that they are getting what they need. It’s a win-win situation.
If you don’t think that in-home care–or senior care in general–is right for your loved one, consider the following statistic. More than 30 percent of seniors over the age of 65 experience a fall at some point in their lives. It’s the leading cause of injury among the elderly population at this point in time, and it is almost completely preventable. A fall can cause permanent disability or worse, and it’s one of those things that could have been avoided if the person in need had just had some assistance getting around their house instead of having to do it themselves. Most people will not experience this, thankfully, but some will. Also, some seniors are at a higher risk of a fall than others. If you have a loved one that does fit the high risk category, taking preventative actions like in-home care can improve their quality of life for years to come. It will end up increasing your costs having a parent living with you, but the costs of keeping the safe are far less than having to pay hefty hospital bills or nursing home fees later on.
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