How to Prepare to Start Living With Elderly Family Members

As certain family members grow older, eventually there may come a point where they no longer feel comfortable living alone, or are even incapable of taking care of themselves without assistance of some kind. At this point, you might make the decision to have your elderly loved one move in with you so that you can be assured that they are receiving the quality of care that they deserve.

Although this move will mean that you can spend more time with your loved one and monitor their wellbeing, it is nonetheless a significant transition that will ultimately impact the dynamic of your home. To this end, it’s essential that you are prepared for this change and everything that comes with it – from making your home more accessible to outlining house expectations and rules.

1.   Set Up a Suitable Living Space

The first thing that you should focus on is preparing a living space for your elderly family member. Whilst this may seem obvious, there are a lot of factors to consider when making this decision. For example, location is key, especially for seniors whose mobility is limited. You may want to choose a room that’s on the ground floor so that they don’t need to struggle up and down the stairs, or one near to the bathroom so they can reach it with ease.

Providing your loved one with a suitable living space not only grants them the privacy and independence necessary to feel comfortable living in your home, but also allows both parties to implement any boundaries that will reduce the risk of any conflict down the line.

2.   Discuss Your Expectations and Any House Rules

Although it might feel uncomfortable to have to enforce rules on someone much older than you, your family member will now be living under your roof and thus they must respect your boundaries. You should clearly outline any major points regarding scheduling, manners, behaviour, communication, as well as how certain situations should be handled.

You should also ask your loved one what they expect from you from a caregiving standpoint. Do they need you to supply transportation? Will they require round-the-clock care? Do they need financial help?

If you find that their expectations aren’t in line with yours, you can discuss sharing responsibilities with others, such as asking siblings to contribute financially or even hiring a professional caregiver to ease the workload.

3.   Modify Your Home to Meet Their Needs

If your family member’s mobility is at all impaired, you should take steps to modify your home that will prevent accidents from occuring. Some small changes you can make include:

• Using non-slip mats in the bathroom
• Keep hallways well-lit and clear of trip-hazards, like shoes or toys
• Place assistive devices around the home, such as walkers, canes and wheelchairs
• Install a stairlift to provide safe and easy access to the entire home

Bespoke Stairlifts in Redditch & Beyond

Stairlifts can improve the quality of life of your elderly residents by providing them full access to their home. At Alfix, we supply and install high-quality new and used stairlifts for both straight and curved applications. For more information about our array of stairlifts or to arrange a free consultation, please get in touch with our friendly team by calling 01926 334848.