A Guide To Care Of An Elderly Parent

Making the decision that an elderly parent requires care can often be a challenging time for everyone involved. For lots of families, it’s a conversation that can be quite difficult to approach and not something that is typically easy or straightforward to talk about. 

Whether you’re feeling relieved or uncertain about choosing to look into care options for your elderly parent, chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’ve made that first important step in searching for some guidance on how to get started – welcome!

Getting started

Things to consider as you think about your parent’s care needs:

Your parent – It might sound obvious but remember that your parent’s needs are at the heart of why you are looking for care in the first place, so make sure you involve them fully in every conversation about their care. Doing this properly is more likely to make your parent less resistant to any care help. It also ensures their individual preferences for care are heard, making them feel part of the decision and in control.

Your approach – Be sensitive! Any big change can be difficult, but particularly so later in life when it is often much harder to adapt, both mentally and physically, as an older person. Broach the conversation about care gradually and ideally at a time when you think your parent might be more willing to acknowledge that they need some help – having them recognise a need for help is a significant milestone in itself and a really positive starting point. 

Your options – The care needs of your parent will of course heavily dictate the type of support that you are looking for, so remember there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Quite the opposite in fact; there are many ways in which care can be provided to specifically suit the individual requirements and wishes of your parent, rather than a scenario where your parent must fit in to an existing and fixed care set-up.

Care at home   – the Home Instead difference

Once you have begun the conversation about helping your elderly parent to accept the need for care, you will soon want to think about the practicalities of the type of care needed, and crucially, how your parent and you would like this care to be provided.

At Home Instead, we make it possible for your parent to:

Remain living comfortably and happily in their own home. We fit in around your parent, rather than your parent needing to fit in to a new environment around us. Home Instead enables your parent to stay living independently in the comfort, security, and familiarity of their own home. 

Receive care at home without compromise. Our care is award-winning for a reason – not only because of our expert team and strong family values founded on personal experience, but for our focus on care that is tailored, flexible, and completely adaptable to your parent’s life.

Enjoy the care they receive. We match your parent personally to one of our professionally trained CAREGivers, for a person-centred, relationship-led care experience like no other. The right partnership sets the foundations for continuity, trust, and friendship. 

How Home Instead can support your parent

Our quality home  care is why we are the first choice for many older people and their families. With the right support,  age is no longer a reason to prevent your parent living happily in their own home.

Our elderly home care services include:

Dementia care including Alzheimer’s disease – specialist expert care

Companionship – a welcome friendly face for company and conversation

Home help and housekeeping – assistance with every-day essential household tasks 

Personal care – from help with hygiene to keeping healthy and active

Palliative care – compassionate end of life care

Live-in care – Care right there when you need it the most

Respite  care – temporary care allows you a weekly break from caring duties 

Begin your parent’s journey with Home Instead today

Find out more about our home care services,  or speak with a member of our team today.