As
baby boomers age, we are often responsible for taking care of parents who may
need assistance in areas, such as bathing, nutrition, medication, finances,
living conditions, transportation, etc. Adult
children provide the majority of long term care for elderly parents. Fortunately, new in-home services and
programs allow today’s seniors to be more independent and stay in their own
homes longer.
Modern technologies make it possible
for adult children to have peace of mind by providing needed care through use
of sensors, alerts, live images streaming, and GPS type tracking devices, which
may be in the form of a pendant or wristband.
Adult
day care centers provide an avenue for seniors to interact with others, giving relief
to the caregiver and providing a social outlet with peers. Parents don’t want to feel as if they are a burden
to their children and may not reveal their loneliness or their need for help, so we need to be vigilant in our
observations of elderly parents. Another source of assistance is respite care, where
a short-term, assisted- living facility is utilized, or a paid caregiver comes
in while the family member takes a break.
As informal caregivers, boomers need
to have outlets for themselves and find outside help to prevent stress and
burnout. Seniors have access to more creative
ways of taking care of themselves than ever before. In addition to nursing homes, there are
assisted living homes in retirement communities, shared living,
neighborhood-based programs, professional geriatric care organizations and
living with children.
Our parents loved and cherished us in
our formative years; we should do no less for them in their declining years.
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