Your elderly parents were once the ones caring for and worrying about you in your younger years; now they may be experiencing similar struggles themselves. This may lead to fear, anxiety, and frustration which could manifest itself through stubbornness or argumentativeness – however by planning ahead and learning about age-related issues as well as making time for self-care, you can help navigate this new phase in your life while remaining supportive in an empathetic manner toward them.
Finding out when it’s time for additional assistance can be difficult, however. Sometimes it may be obvious when someone needs extra support; other times the situation may be more delicate; an illness or emergency might make it clearer; otherwise it might require gradual transition.
Lum suggests having an open dialogue about all available options with an older relative or parent in a caring and supportive atmosphere, including including trusted additional people such as family or professionals from a nearby healthcare clinic as necessary.
Your aging parent has various housing options to consider depending on his/her individual circumstances, from adapting their home to meet needs to moving into an assisted living community or living with family. Along with discussing all their available housing choices and potential consequences thereof such as how home modifications might impact homeowner insurance or how inherited assets could impact taxes, it’s also wise to explore financial ramifications as part of the decision-making process.