Aging can sneak up on you, especially when it’s happening to your parents. One moment, your dad is fixing a defective boiler with nothing but a roll of duct tape, and the next, they’re struggling to remember if they ate lunch.
Sadly, people often only start making plans when it’s time for one of their parents to start transitioning to senior care. They quietly panic when they realize the true extent of the aging parents checklist and make bad senior care planning decisions.
Interested in learning more about making your aging parents’ transition into senior living go smoothly? Read on for some helpful family caregiving tips in Roswell, GA (located about 22 miles north of Atlanta’s city center).
Starting Your Aging Parents Checklist
The first part of elder care prep is considering your parents’ needs. After all, you can’t start adding tasks to your checklist without clear goals in mind. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Research, close relationships are sometimes susceptible to false assumptions about sensitive topics.
Sometimes, sensitive topics like end-of-life care or plans for moving into senior care are simply not discussed. Because you know them well, your guess often feels more accurate than it is. Or, sometimes, you only talked about a crucial topic once or twice.
Think about all the things you’ve changed your mind about. Would you like important choices about your health or senior living situation to be made about the person you were many years ago? To get a clear picture, you’ll need to have open and honest conversations with them.
Look Out for the Physical Signs
Not every situation calls for a deep conversation. Looking at your parents’ health and day-to-day life can tell you a lot about what they need.
Do they struggle to get up the stairs and get out of a chair? Or, perhaps their problems getting around are more perception-based. Are your parents hard of hearing or do they have poor eyesight?
The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that these issues may make it more difficult for your parents to perform the essential Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). This indicates that living in a senior living community would probably be advantageous for them.
Monitor for Signs of Mental Slowdown
Cognitive decline doesn’t make a grand entrance. Little things like a forgotten appointment, a prescription skipped, or an unbalanced checkbook are where it starts. It’s not something we usually pay attention to, especially if that person has been sharp before.
But it’s very important to know the difference between normal aging and signs of cognitive decline. Most of the time, short-term memory loss comes first, like telling the same stories over and over or forgetting what day it is. That serves as your first hint that something is wrong.
Make a note of any actions that don’t seem quite right, no matter how subtle they are. Brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia don’t usually progress in a straight and predictable pattern.
These are complex cognitive conditions that present differently in every individual. As a close family member, you’re in an ideal position to notice subtle cognitive changes, as you’re well accustomed to their normal behavior.
Finding out about the disease early on can help you make better plans and learn more about it. You are not trying to prove that something is wrong; you’re just getting ready in case it is.
Emotional Changes Matter Too
The brain and body don’t always show signs of getting older. At times, the first changes are emotional. If your parent used to be friendly but now avoids calls, family events, and stops doing the things they enjoy, it could be because they are lonely.
They might be crankier or less social than usual. Feelings like these might not just be bad moods; they could be signs of depression or emotional pain. Aging brings a lot of invisible losses, for example:
- Friends move away
- Routines disappear
- Purpose starts to feel elusive
Not only is social connection an enjoyable way to pass the time, but it’s also essential for mental and even physical well-being.
For example, a New York Post article described a study by Dr. Robert Waldinger. The study showed that the biggest predictor of a long, healthy life is the quality of a person’s relationships. Emotional warmth and connection don’t just feel good, they make you live longer.
And yet, older adults are experiencing greater isolation than ever. It’s concerning if your parent stops going out or no longer checks up on their old friends.
Activities, shared meals, and community-based senior living can help seniors find purpose. You don’t have to wait for a serious depressive episode to take action. When you’re planning for the long term, even small changes in your parents’ emotions need to be taken into account.
Consider Roswell Assisted Living
You should be able to use the mental, physical, and emotional signs to complete your aging parents checklist. It’s possible that your parent needs more than just occasional help if they have trouble with stairs, forget their appointments, or seem to be pulling away from you. You should think about how well your parents can handle daily life and whether they’d benefit from structured support based on these issues.
The safety and companionship they need might be found in memory care, assisted living, or neighborhoods with lots of social activities. It’s easier to see the way when you watch carefully and make the right decisions.
Visit Our Senior Living Community
It’s never easy to get ready for your parents’ next chapter, but having a plan matters. You can make decisions that protect their comfort and dignity by keeping an eye out for changes in their body, mind, and emotions. Use this guide as your aging parents checklist to stay focused and prepared.
At TerraBella Roswell, care is beyond simple assistance. It means friendship, routine, and a community to belong. The genuine ties that bind our residents to the community give each day purpose. If you are looking for senior living with heart and soul, not just services, come visit TerraBella Roswell and experience what sets us apart.
Schedule a tour today and see how TerraBella Roswell can help your loved one feel at home.
