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How to Plan and Arrange Elder Care for Your Dad

Planning and arranging elder care takes time. When you’ve noticed your dad is forgetting to take medications and wearing the same clothes for days at a time, he may need help. A lack of hygiene, a messy, unorganized home, and spoiled groceries that haven’t been discarded are other signs he could use help.

 

Elderly Care in Braselton GA: Arranging Elder Care
Elderly Care in Braselton GA: Arranging Elder Care

 

Build a List of Difficult Tasks

Work with your dad to build a list of the tasks he dislikes or can’t do on his own. Consider some of the common ones like driving his car, cooking meals, or paying bills. Add the ones that are less likely to cross your mind like difficulty cutting toenails because he can’t bend over or challenges faced with tying his shoes.

What about the things that may embarrass him? If he has a hard time getting in and out of the shower, he may not want to admit it. He may not want to tell you that he can’t work the new digital washing machine you bought, so he hasn’t been doing his laundry. All of these tasks are ones a caregiver could help him with.

 

Discuss Plans Together

Your dad needs to be part of elder care planning. If you’re not allowing him to be part of your family discussions, you’re not being fair. Only in rare situations would your dad be unable to communicate his thoughts in some manner. If he has Alzheimer’s and is non-communicative, you can still look at him for shrugs and eye rolls to know if he’s okay with something you say.

He’s the one spending time with caregivers, so make sure his voice is heard. Things to consider include whether he’d want his adult children helping him with showers and toileting. Would he want his grandchildren involved at all?

If he is okay with family helping out, does he have limitations on how often or what he is comfortable having them do? Would he want his son managing his finances or would he prefer a professional bookkeeper?

 

Tips for Making Arrangements

Call an elder care agency to discuss your dad’s needs. Find out what caregivers cost and relay that to your father. If possible, have the elder care agency assess your dad’s home for any safety factors you should be considering and services you may not realize he could have.

 

Once you’ve gone over his needs and come up with a schedule and care plan, caregivers will come on the assigned days. One phone call is all it takes to get started.

The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable Elderly Care in Braselton, GA, and surrounding areas. Call (770) 965.4004 for more information.

Valerie Darling

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