Tips for Helping Your Loved One Age Gracefully

According to national surveys, over 44 million people care for aging family members, accounting for 20% of the country’s population. This caregiving can be different for everyone but is typically in the form of finances, emotional support, or assistance with physical health needs.

If you’ve noticed that your parent, grandparent, or close family friend is starting to have more health needs as they age, you may be wondering how you can best help.

At HealthStone Primary Care Partners in Hollywood, Florida, our primary care team offers expert and compassionate senior care for adults as they age. In this month’s blog, we highlight some guidelines on how to best assist your loved one as their health needs change with age. 

Encourage them to start getting regular senior care

As your loved one ages, they become more and more likely to develop multiple chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. In fact, studies tell us that over half of senior adults have at least three of these chronic health issues at the same time.

To keep your loved one from needing to see multiple specialists for multiple health concerns, encourage them to establish a working relationship with our senior care team. We can keep them up-to-date on vaccinations, screen them regularly for health concerns, and ensure that their health care plan encompasses all of their needs. 

Learn to recognize when they need extra help

Sometimes it can be hard to recognize if an aging loved one needs increased amounts of support. While it’s always a good idea to start by asking them, your loved one may not realize that they need help. 

These are a few questions you can ask yourself as you interact with your loved one that may provide information on whether they need higher levels of care:

• Can they prepare meals safely?
• Are they taking medications as prescribed?
• Is their home relatively clean and tidy?
• Do they seem confused on a regular basis?
• Is their mood unstable?
• Do they regularly make poor decisions?
• Can they move around their house safely?

If you notice any of these things, you may want to ask your loved one if you can help and provide specific ways you can assist in areas of need. 

For example, if they’re having difficulties getting to the grocery store but would still like to cook at home, arrange to have groceries delivered to their house. Or if they can’t get to their doctor’s appointments for medications and health screenings, offer to drive them or arrange appropriate transportation. 

Make a plan for the future

While it may be a difficult conversation, you and your loved one should make long-term plans for their future health. Take your time, doing plenty of research on care services and facilities in the community and examining how much each one costs. It’s much better to make these plans before they need extensive help and while they’re able to make clear decisions for themselves. 

Learn more about our expert-level senior care

To get your loved one started with senior care at our practice, schedule an appointment by calling our office or using our online booking feature today.