Understanding When Your Parent Needs Help

Raising a family and building a career can relocate you to various parts of the country. Your parents may have done the same thing in their younger years, but now they are at retirement age, slowing down, and may even be alone. Taking care of a big home and property is more difficult, and you may be noticing more weeds, taller grass, and a dustier house when you visit. If alarms start going off, take time to understand the signs that one of both of your loved ones needs assistance.

Signs Mom or Dad Needs Support
Additional signs that indicate your parent or other special senior isn’t able to keep up include a decline in usually meticulous grooming and hygiene status. You may also notice weight loss, change of eating habits, clumsiness, missed doctors’ appointments, or confusion with medications. Since some medications can hinder concentration, cause blurred vision, or slow response time, driving may become unsafe and stressful. This can cause your loved one to skip appointments and delay shopping for necessities. 

Ways to Provide Assistance
Sitting down with Mom or Dad and respectfully talking about these concerns is the first step. Ask questions and offer your guidance in how to get assistance as aging progresses. Discuss options of downsizing, assisted living, or your moving to live nearby locally.

Simplification of Living Arrangements
One study shows that by the year 2030, baby boomers will cause 26 million homes to go on the market. Downsizing or moving into assisted living can help simplify life for seniors.

To prepare, donate and sell furniture and collectibles that won’t make the move. Pack and label boxes with an itemized list for easy unpacking. If you cannot be around to do this packing and unpacking for your parent, look into hiring a moving company that offers senior services. Senior movers specialize in these tasks as well as the transfer of utilities, internet, and mail.

Relocation to Provide Assistance
If moving to be near your loved one locally is the better option, begin your search to purchase a new home. Talk to a lender located in Greenwood, Indiana, to get pre-approved. Lenders take a close look at borrowers’ debt-to-income ratios. You can compute this by adding up monthly debt payments you make and dividing the sum by the gross income received each month. This helps determine your maximum monthly mortgage payment. The pre-approval amount gives you a realistic approach in searching for homes and an advantage when putting in an offer to purchase.

Once that is established, contact a reputable local real estate agent to begin looking for a house that meets your specific needs within your target price range. Team Stiles can relieve you of the time needed to search and enable you to relocate quickly.

Benefits of Living Within Reach
Living local gives you more insight into your parent’s daily necessities and provides social interaction for you both. Research shows that loneliness and isolation are linked to various mental and physical conditions. Being a caretaker to one or both parents ensures they are getting to doctor appointments, and you can keep the family home maintained, pick up groceries and run errands if needed.

Securing the safety and health requirements of your parents as they age is the best way to give back for the years they gave to you. Being respectful of Mom’s or Dad’s needs and working together to maintain an independent and safe environment can be rewarding for you and those you love.

Written by Claire Wentz

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