Ways to Make Your Home Secure for Older Parents
Ways to Make Your Home Secure for Older Parents

Your parents have been keeping you safe from the cruelties of the world all your childhood and even after that, but now they are the ones who need security, and this has left you overwhelmed and upset; if that is that case all I’ll tell you is that I’ve been there. But I will also tell you what I did when I hit that point in time. Nothing in life is insurmountable, neither is this seemingly problematic issue. No matter what difficulties you’re anticipating, I am sure I can guess the primary ones and give you answers to them. So, are you willing to learn? If yes, then read ahead to find out more.

Initiate by Financial Planning

First and foremost, you’re more than likely going to have to handle the financial matters, so prepare yourself for this ahead of time. But what does one do in the event of an emergency? Do they help someone else first? No, they help themselves first. That same logic can be applied to this situation in the fact that you must help yourself by achieving some sort of financial stability. This will help you in the long run when it comes time to help your parents. The ordeal becomes exponentially hard for single mothers who now have to juggle caring for their family, as well as their elderly parents. In fact, studies have shown that women who end up in a caregiving role tend to suffer more from poverty than those that do not. If caregiving becomes more cumbersome and they have to quit working full-time, then the repercussions expand beyond the short-term. Fewer hours means less pay, ultimately hindering future financial planning and savings. There are a lot of savings accounts that do not have a monthly balance requirement, but there are plenty that does, and if you tap into those savings because you need the money then you might incur numerous fees. Diving into caregiving’s financial aspect without realizing how difficult it can get is like asking to be drowned. Eventually, the responsibility becomes too much to handle so one should anticipate it right from the beginning and sit with their parents to talk about this matter. So, you should get your parents to sign you a power of attorney so you can effectively and efficiently take care of their financial issues. The health-care proxy does not fall within the ambit of fiscal planning however you should get them to sign one for you so that the life-death decision can be taken in case they’re mentally incapacitated by any forms of dementia. And finally, you need them to sign a will of their property and belongings. Once you’re done with the documentation, most of the challenging work is done. Even if your parents do not seem like they are willing to share these details just yet, ask them to at least inform of an emergency means through which these details can be accessed in case of any sensitive happening..

Scam Protection

This is the next hazard. After we’re out of the possibility of getting caught in financial turmoil, keeping your parents safe from various online scams can be another big issue while they are managing their finances. Seniors are prone to falling for risky schemes and frauds, and they are also prone to hiding the fact they have suffered from scams and frauds. So, make sure you safeguard their finances from such scams and educate them about it. For example, you can tell them about the sweetheart scam in which people act as if they are in love with the elder person when in reality they are just digging gold. Or a scam artist may come up and pose as if they are a lost child who needs money. Make your parents weary of such frauds and stay in contact with them, so they are not easily deceived. Sometimes people can call and pose as a tax collector, reminding you of how many taxes you owe them. This is one of the biggest scams you can find out there. And even if your parent has done any such thing, do not lecture them over this. Don’t make them feel like they could have avoided it; they just didn’t know what they were caught

Memory Loss

Finally, once your parents hit an age where they become impaired with a disease like Alzheimer’s or dementia, they are prone to being forgetful, and they might damage themselves in the process. As in, they can keep their documents somewhere and forget them. You should have all the necessary conversations with your parents so that when the need arises, you do not have to go through the trouble. You should also consider monitoring your parent’s account for unexpectedly large transactions. If they catch Alzheimer’s or any other disease of the likes, make sure you have access to all their legal documentation. You can control some fraudsters your parents are contacted by adding their number to the Do Not Call registry. Similarly, market associations can be prevented from reaching them. Make sure that your parents do not keep the power of attorney or their living trust originals in a safe deposit box. If you’re not listed on the safe-deposit box already make sure that you get the forms of a registry. Another thing that you should keep in mind is that if you’re the one who is handling the financial responsibility of your parents, then you must keep every receipt, every bill, and every bank statement copy in a file. So that you can show it to any sibling, concerned relative, or even your parents to prove that you’re handling their responsibility just fine. Employ a financial adviser to take a look at your parent’s finances and pay heed to their advice, keep track of their investment details because your parents might lose the ability to do it in case they have any cognitive impairment.

These are all how you can financially keep your parents safe, at the same time there are many other things you would need to focus on to take care of your children. Keep in mind that the elderly are prone to falling and their fall-risk is much higher than younger adults. Therefore, you should be especially careful about their physical needs. Make sure they never overdose on the medicine and appoint a nurse for their medicinal routine if you cannot handle it yourself.