If your parents are elderly, being around for them 24 hours a day isn’t always possible when they live elsewhere. However, you may feel a sense of guilt that you can’t always be there in the event of an emergency or long-distance is preventing you from spending quality time together, which you may later come to regret. One solution would be to ask your elderly parents to live with you.
However, there are many aspects to weigh up to determine whether this is a viable long-term solution that will benefit you and your parents. After all, sharing a space can be challenging but extremely rewarding when care is involved.
Here are some of the reasons why you might ask your elderly parents to live with you:
Providing care and assistance
If your elderly parent is unable to look after themselves independently, you may have concluded that asking them to live with you is the best way of being able to provide care.
However, before making this decision, you’ll need to evaluate the required level of care. If they can live independently with only occasional assistance needed, there shouldn’t be too much of a strain in managing this type of care. If, on the other hand, your parent has a severe health condition and you’re worried about whether you have the time to assist on a full-time basis, it may be more sensible to consider signature care home at Reigate Grange where they will receive special assistance from trained professionals who are on hand from morning until night to manage medical and domestic needs. If you’re looking into care homes, consider checking if they use the top home care management software, as this could affect the care they provide for your parent.
Saving money on living expenses
The cost-of-living crisis is changing how people behave, with everyday expenses becoming financially crippling for some of the population. Paying household bills unaided may no longer be feasible for your elderly parent if they live alone. In this regard, it may be wise to think economically and cut costs where possible by asking your parent to move in and share household bills such as gas, electric, and mortgage payments, which will benefit both parties.
Having more quality family time
If your older parents live some distance away, getting quality family time together may be a rarity. You have your own life and responsibilities to think about, which may leave very little space in your schedule to see your parents and give your kids a chance to spend time with their special grandparents.
It may be the right time to ask your parents to move in and become more involved in everyday family life – providing you the space in your home to accommodate them. If they are in good health, they may be willing to give you a helping hand regarding babysitting and domestic chores, which is sure to take additional strain off your shoulders. In turn, you may notice a difference in your stress levels and have a much happier family.
Preventing loneliness
Older adults can become lonely for several reasons – whether it be due to poor mobility, retiring from work, or the death of friends and loved ones. Social isolation became a major concern during the pandemic, and the elderly population suffered the most, with many forced to live completely alone.
Why not make up for lost time by asking your elderly parents to move in with you? This would be even more life-changing for them if they were widowed and rarely had conversations with others throughout the day.
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