What to do When Your Parents are Aging
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bay Alarm Medical for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.
Are you part of the sandwich generation? You are taking care of your own kids and your parents are aging at the same time. You’re stuck in the middle. Sandwiched there and trying to make it all work.
My siblings and I have been there. We have had to do it. Now it’s my husband’s turn to take on the role with his parents. It was a privilege to assist my parents in their journey of getting older and less independent and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Today, I want to give you a few tips on ways to make it easier on YOU!
Accept Help
There’s no shame in admitting you can’t do it all. Give yourself permission to receive and accept help. It can be simple things like grocery pick up or lawn care or complex things like doctor appointments and nighttime care. People want to help you and it’s okay to let them.
If your parents aren’t living near you, contact their local area agency on aging for resources.
Lean on Family and Friends
This time in your life won’t last forever, but you have to make the best of the situation while you’re in it. If you have siblings or significant others get them involved too. Just because you are the oldest or the one who works at home, doesn’t mean all of the responsibilities need to fall on you.
Enlist the families that your kids congregate with. Ask them about car pool ideas for events and activities. Arrange play dates to give yourself a break and free up time. A team effort will make things run smoother.
Batch Cook
Pick a specific day of the week and cook meals that can be refrigerated or frozen for reheating. Make meals for your own family and your parents too. Get your supplies through grocery delivery or pick up to save your precious time.
If batch cooking isn’t your thing or your parents aren’t close, consider meal kits or prepared food delivery services.
Use Technology
There are so many devices on the market today that can ease the burden of not being present with your own family or parents that don’t live with you.
Here are a few of the ones to try for your family situation:
MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS
Are you ready for retirement? Consider simple systems that your parents will be able to use without a lot of struggles. Medical alert systems like Bay Medical are simple to use. The emergency assistance is easy to access with just a push of a button. In seconds you are connected to a live person. This service is available 24/7 and you can monitor it from near or far.
We tried out the SOS SMARTWATCH which is perfect for adults of all ages. It doesn’t need a smart phone to function. It’s basically a communication device worn on the wrist. It has its own SIM card for location tracking and a speaker and mic combo allowing you to use it to talk to a live person when you need assistance.
The SOS SMARTWATCH is easy to charge and has a long battery life, too. It’s a simple to use medical alert device to allow your loved one to have easy access to assistance in an emergency.
Grandma is in good hands with her easy to use SOS SMARTWATCH. Because it’s a smart watch it uses data to track activity and location. Once you hit the emergency button a live operator contacts your loved one on the two-way speaker and if there is no response your listed family or friends or 911 if necessary are alerted. It’s a quick and easy way to get assistance. If you have to leave your parents in their own care for minutes or days, this device can give you the peace of mind you need to ensure they are safe.
Read this post to learn more about Keep Your Aging Parents Safe at Home.
Camera Door Bells
Of course, you want your parent’s permission to video their property, but let them know your number one concern is their safety. A doorbell that can be monitored on your own cellphone can give you peace of mind. You will be able to easily view who exits and enters your parent’s space. You can even put them on windows.
Smart Trackers
If your aging parent travels or is still very active you may want to consider an SOS MOBILE DEVICE. This particular system requires no cell service and had the option to add fall detection monitoring. Just like the SOS SMARTWATCH this device is portable and works where you are. Bay Alarm Medical is proud to be one of the only medical alert providers to offer end to end 4G-LTE coverage.
The SOS MOBILE DEVICE has a sleek design that allows it to be worn on a lanyard or clipped to a belt. Thanks to the water resistant capabilities it can even be worn in the shower or rain.
The best part of the SOS Mobile Device is the mobile Caregiver app. With the app on a mobile device you have 24/7 USA based monitoring information at your fingertips.
Use your app to see the most recent location of your loved ones with an update each hour. You can even view the steps your loved one took during the day so you can track mobility and movement. It really gives you extra peace of mind to have a connection for on demand information when you
Bay Medical Alarm is America’s #1 Rated Medical Alert System. Their products and devices are made and monitored in the USA. There are no startup costs or contracts, just affordable and convenient plans that fit your needs.
Sign up is simple. You can do the easy steps right online or call the toll-free # to get started.
Learn more about Bay Medical on their website.
When you look back on the days you spent with your aging parents, the changes you had to make for that short time in your life, will be worth it all. Along with the challenges will come memories that will last a lifetime.
For more help with caregiving, check out these Caregiver Tips for Managing Medications.
