PRETTY YOUNG THING

Things to Consider Before Living With Your Ageing Parents

There may come a time when you have to move your elderly parents into your home. However, before making that crucial move, you must determine if you are prepared to live with your parents. What adaptations have you made to make their resettlement a safe and enjoyable one? Considering that 40% of UK residents have ageing parents or parents-in-law in their care, hopefully, you’ll consider these factors before deciding.

Home adaptation

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Your current way of living may not be suitable for ageing parents who move in with you. For example, It can be a significant concern if your house is a one or two storey-building without bedrooms on the ground floor. It doesn't help either if your ageing parents have mobility issues and cannot climb up or down the stairs in your home. These are vital considerations to ponder over before making that final decision. Weigh up all your options because convenient products such as portable homes may well be a great option to create more space for your parents. These homes can be assembled next to your existing property and they are great for maintaining your parents’ independence.

Sometimes, giving up your child’s room for ageing parents can be stressful. Additionally, you probably will have to revamp parts of your property to make it more convenient. For example, you will need to build a few ramps around the home to aid their mobility. Again, the original bathroom's design will need some tweaking to make it safer for ageing parents. In effect, your home adaptation must be thorough to ensure you have the most efficient conditions for senior living.

Be ready for changes in family life

Apart from the physical changes you need to consider is your family's routine. Indeed, you do not expect your usual routine to remain as before. Moreover, everyone in the household must be conscious about creating a welcoming environment for elderly parents. This will include deliberate and conscious actions to make the seniors feel included in their new abode. Furthermore, you should ensure that they don’t feel like burdens on your family. 

For instance, you may have to run shifts with members of your household, depending on their degree of mobility and cognitive decline. This will ensure that your parents are never left on their own. However, if you live alone, you can sign up for home care services that cater to them when you are not.

Paying bills

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Sometimes, ageing parents who move in with family do not want to feel like a burden on others. For that reason, they will suggest splitting the costs of general expenses in the home with you. Naturally, most people will reject this offer because of the internal guilt of taking money from ageing parents. All you want to do is to safeguard and organise their financial affairs.

However, you may be under significant pressure to run the home monthly. Therefore, you can accept your parents’ offer if it works for you. On the other hand, if you feel uncomfortable accepting their money, you should be ready to get a side-hustle to keep you all afloat. Fortunately, you can choose from various job options to supplement your income.