Nobody wants to think about what will happen to their parents as they become more dependent on family support. So, itβs important to think about how to make their lives as straightforward as possible as they ease into old age. Loneliness can contribute to mental health problems, so relying on a home team and in home care is important for your loved one’s wellbeing. As overwhelming as it sounds, there are ways to simplify elder care, as long as you know what options are available to you. Here are some ideas on how you can administer elder care going forward.
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Establish a home team
A home team is a group of family members, friends, colleagues or a mixture of all three of whom your loved one can depend upon, both emotionally, physically and socially. They are the ones who can motivate them when theyβre feeling low, advise when in a tricky situation, support them when they have experienced a tragedy, and make them laugh when they need it the most.
One way to keep everyone together is to use a caregiver mobile app, which connects the carer’s team, caregivers, clients, and families, to make personalised everyday support management easier.
Who is on the home team?
Home teams come in all shapes and sizes and can be different even for other family members. Your loved one’s (or however your kids like to call your grandparents) home team is with whom they have formed an unbreakable rapport and who they know will be there in the good and bad times.
A home team in life allows us to experience life to its fullest, to enjoy what really matters β to form relationships and experience true love. We all need a home team to make us feel complete to ensure that if we are in a conundrum, they can help us get out of it. They contribute to your life more than youβll ever know and as you get older, you will depend on them more so when you need it the most. Therefore, the adage of βtreat people as you want to be treated yourselfβ, rings so true at this point because there will come a time when you will need to depend on your home team. If youβve pushed them away, you may find yourself in a team of βme, myself and Iβ.
As we get older, we want our family around more to stop us from feeling lonely. Sometimes children can help with a bit of DIY in the house or get the shopping in, for example. In more serious situations, your loved one’s home team can help with matters that might require legal help. If they have developed a disability and their condition happened while in the military service, then they might benefit from VA disability rates and be entitled to compensation.
Grandchildren can be around more to help. If you are lucky enough for your family to live close by, then grandchildren can become part of the home team. Grandchildren can bring life to their grandparents in ways others cannot replicate and remind them of what it felt like to be young again. They provide that much-needed boost in morale and grandparents can parent their grandchildren again with the benefit of life experience. It is such a wonderful relationship to experience if you have the fortune of being around your extended family.
How can we help and be part of our older generationβs home team?
When SunLife asked over 55s whether they would prefer to stay in their own home, rather than move, 60% said they would have preferred to stay in the comfort of their own home. Most loved ones would like to maintain their independence, so adapting their home, i.e. installing stairlifts and door entry systems, can ensure they can carry on living a high quality of life with the added benefit of their home team being available when they need it, either through live-in care, or part-time care. More on these options below.
Care at home
You could ask your elder relative to move in with you so you can offer more help with daily tasks. They may feel like they are imposing, but itβs important to note that if they need help, they know they can rely on their home team.
Care at home doesn’t have to mean 24 hours a day. For instance, a ‘meals on wheels’ service may be provided if you have trouble cooking or you might just need someone to pop in once or twice a day to help you wash or change clothes.
Hourly Care
Hourly care is domiciliary care delivered in the home, however, this care is not consistent throughout the day. A care assistant will visit your loved oneβs property at specified times, helping with a range of jobs, including getting out of bed in the morning and preparing food. The time spent in their home supporting your loved one is relatively short compared to live-in care and can mean that they may spend extended periods of the day alone. For those with more complex needs, hours spent without care can be particularly problematic β increasing the risk of falls and accidents. Like care homes, your loved one may be supported by a variety of different staff week on week, giving them little opportunity to develop friendships and meaningful relationships.
Adapt their home to make them more independent
There are various home adaptations that can be made to help people stay safe in their own homes as they grow older. Depending on your relativeβs needs, they might benefit from adjustments like easy access showers, motion sensor lighting, toilet frames, stairlifts (Millercare Stairlifts are an option to look at), ramps and handrails, kitchen mobility accessories, door entry systems that grant trusted people access and wider internal doors. You donβt have to live in a care home to have access to specialist products such as electric beds, riser recliner chairs and pressure mattresses either. Companies like Alpine HC supply these types of high-tech equipment to private individuals and the care industry. Talk to the person you care for about the difficulties they have around the house and help them make a plan that will allow them to stay in their own home for longer.
Live-in care
There is a real need for more resources that not only help people find live-in care services but also explain the distinctive benefits of professional support in the home. The β7 Benefits Unique to Live-In Careβ infographic can help you understand how the lives of your loved ones can be transformed by choosing live-in care.
By choosing live-in services your loved one will receive undivided attention from their carer through one-to-one support. Live-in care is very flexible compared to other types of care, a super strict routine is unnecessary as there is no time limit on when their care ends β allowing for a greater level of independence, choice and fun spontaneity. Working in teams of two live-in carers are trained to provide anything from companionship to complex care for a variety of conditions including Dementia, meaning your loved one can remain in the comfort of their home even if their care needs change.
Why Consider Live-In Care
Choosing live-in care can help improve, health, happiness, and well-being in some following ways:
- Consistent Care β Your loved one will receive care as and when they need it.
- Tailored Assistance β Theyβll be cared for by a person who understands their individual needs.
- Comfortable Home β Carers will help keep their home safe, clean and tidy as well as make it more elderly friendly.
- Build Trust β Live-in care allows your loved one to build a long-lasting and trusting relationship with their carers.
- Immediate Care β Their carer can immediately respond to medical emergencies.
The Good Care Group is a Live-in care provider rated βOutstandingβ by the Care Quality Commission. They provide care, support, and companionship to help your loved one continue to live safely and comfortably within their home. Find out more about live-in care by The Good Care Group by visiting https://www.thegoodcaregroup.com/ or contact them on 020 3728 7575
Moving into a care home
When choosing a care home, your loved one will move out of their current property and into new accommodation, which is often one room within the home itself. Once living in a care home, they will receive support from the staff there. Their care team is likely to comprise of many people who rotate shifts. Where their care home is located will largely depend on availability, so this means they may not receive care in their preferred community and sometimes, they could be separated from their partner.
This is a big step, particularly if family members don’t feel they can offer the level of care needed for the best quality of life. You can be there to help them feel active and make new friends, while staff are on hand 24 hours a day for all their medical needs. If you’re serious about a care home, then do your research about what’s offered. Some just provide accommodation with some personal care, while others can offer nursing care as well
The cost of moving to a care home is a worry for many. Age UK has some excellent information about paying for residential care.
Help them stay independent outside of the home
According to a survey conducted by Independent Age in 2017, 91% of drivers aged 70 and over say that if they could not drive, it would cause a loss of independence. Although a driving license expires when a holder turns 70, this doesnβt mean that people over this age canβt get behind the wheel. Make sure your loved one knows that they can renew their license once they reach 70. They should also know that developing a health condition doesnβt mean they must stop driving. If their condition affects their ability to drive, the DVLA might conclude they need to make adaptations to their car.
Exercise
Encouraging your loved one to keep fit is also great for lengthening their life expectancy, so taking them out for walks, and new activities are great for the mind and soul. Being part of a home team that has younger children means that grandparents need to keep up with the activities and this forces them to push outside of their comfort zone, which is good for morale.
Physical activity can help people stay healthy, preserve their independence and keep doing the things they enjoy. It is recommended that adults do 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week. Why not help your relative to stay well by joining them in doing activities that get the heart racing? You donβt have to be a gym buff to help your loved one to get moving. From walking to going out dancing, to taking a yoga class, to doing some gardening, there are lots of ways you and your elderly loved one can get more exercise.
If you care for someone with reduced mobility or another health problem or if your loved one hasnβt exercised for a long time, itβs a good idea to seek advice from their healthcare professional to find out what kind of exercise might suit them.
Keep them warm in the winter
Medical advances and a better understanding of how to look after our health mean that weβre all enjoying longer lives, but while this is something to be celebrated, a growing percentage of the population is at increased risk of general and seasonal illnesses. According to Age UK, 15 million adults in Britain are now aged 60 or over. Theyβre the most vulnerable social group to winter conditions like colds, flu or pneumonia and at serious risk of exacerbating age-related heart and circulatory conditions, often with fatal outcomes. Statistics show that on average, 210 older adults die every day; thatβs someoneβs elderly friend or relative βevery 7 minutes.β In most cases, their deaths, which Age UK report are attributable to inadequate insulation and heating in the home, are preventable. Fuel poverty, which now affects over 1 million adults in the UK, makes addressing some of those home heating inadequacies difficult but staying warm throughout winter can literally make the difference between life and death.
Short – term, Low-cost Solutions
Hot water bottles, electric blankets and warm clothing, as well as regular hot meals and drinks, can provide the short-term boost of warmth older individuals need to keep their core temperature up and their circulatory system healthy. However, although they offer some short-term comforts and can help to keep home heating bills down, theyβre not practical or reliable alternatives to the proper heating and home insulation setup thatβs necessary to see a person through weeks and months of cold weather.
Home Heating and Insulation
Ideally, living areas should be maintained at 18-21ΛC and although any wood-burning stove, home gas fire or portable heater can generate that heat, they can be costly to run and their warmth is generally confined to one or two rooms. Make sure your house is properly insulated to keep the heat. You can build the insulation into the walls yourself if you know what youβre doing and you are staying safe with the right tools and equipment (you can find a selection of tools at SGS). Central heating can offer a cheaper, more reliable alternative, but old or poorly maintained systems can be ineffective and expensive to run. Ask a plumber to carry out a quick health check on your central heating system to make sure there are no airlocks in radiators, that the boiler is operating safely and that any heating pumps are running the system efficiently to generate heat and hot water and provide value for money. However, even the best central heating system will struggle to generate and regulate warmth where itβs needed if the propertyβs insulation is inadequate. Most interior heat will leak out through windows, doors and roofs, but insulation can trap it inside to keep homes warmer and bills down. It is estimated that loft insulation could reduce annual bills by Β£125 and cavity wall insulation could reduce them by Β£155. Private tenants or homeowners on certain income-related benefits are entitled to have loft and wall insulation fitted for free under the governmentβs Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
Besides adding insulation, switch any lightweight curtains to thermal or heavy-backed alternatives, lag any pipes and block any window, door or letterbox draughts with excluders. These are available from most local DIY stores for around Β£5 to Β£20. Hire a plumber to ensure that all the plumbing is installed correctly and hot water is coming through properly.
Financial help
Besides the ECO scheme, there are several other financial grants and benefits available for older adults and vulnerable people who need help to keep their homes warm throughout winter, including:
Winter Fuel Allowance
Any adult-born before 1953 is entitled to a winter fuel payment of between Β£100 and Β£300. To check your eligibility and claim any payments you havenβt yet received, visit the governmentβs Winter Fuel Payment service online.
Boiler Replacement Scheme
If your boiler is over 5 years old, then a free or heavily discounted replacement may also be available via the governmentβs ECO scheme. You can check your eligibility and apply for a new boiler at www.boilergrants.org.uk.
Switch Energy Supplier
Getting the best price for gas and electric has never been easier. To find out if youβre on the best tariff, visit Which? Switch, where you can compare deals and change suppliers in a matter of minutes.
Finally, if youβre concerned about the welfare of an elderly or vulnerable person in your area, then please contact your local Social Services department.
Will preparation and storage ideas
Although some people find the prospect of will preparation both morbid and confronting taking this step is necessary if your loved wants to bequeath their worldly possessions to their loved ones in a particular way. As a legally binding document, a will can also prevent confusion and future disputes, making things that little easier for all parties concerned. So, below are some will preparation and storage ideas that will help you ensure that the will is safe, secure, and legal.
Will preparation
Writing a will ensures that your loved one is the person who decides what happens to their possessions, property, and money after they die. A will also ensure they donβt pay more Inheritance Tax than they need to. You can make your own will but itβs not as straightforward as you think, so it is advisable to get advice from will writing solicitors who will ensure that the will can hold under law. You can purchase a Will Kit which will contain all the information you need to create a will, and which will also include information on making sure that the will is formally signed and witnessed to make it legally valid.
To update the will before their death, your loved one would require a βcodicilβ, which is an official alteration to the original will. Or they can make a new will altogether if there are several changes.
How to make your own will
If you donβt want to pay a lawyer to write a will for your loved one, then there are several things you need to include to ensure that the will is valid under the law. The will should set out:
- Who you would want to benefit from your loved one’s will (their beneficiaries)
- Who should look after their children under 18, if any?
- Who have they appointed to manage their estate and carry their wishes after their death (the executor)
- What happens if their beneficiaries die before them
When you need to get legal advice from will solicitors
If their will isnβt so straightforward, then they should get legal advice from will solicitors who will help them understand:
- How to share their property with anyone other than their husband, wife or civil partner
- They have several family members who will want to make a claim on their will (for example, a spouse or children from another marriage)
- They want to leave money/property to a dependent unable to care for themselves.
- They have a permanent home outside of the UK.
- They have a business
- They have property abroad
Once they have sorted out their will, they will need to make sure it is safe. There are several ways they can store their will, for example:
In a home safe deposit box
One of the most popular methods of storage for confidential items such as a will is the humble safe deposit box. Although renting a bank safe deposit box ensures a high level of security, it does not afford a great deal of convenience for access. The terms and conditions regarding when and how the box can be opened will differ from institution to institution, but the result could be a long, drawn-out legal process for friends and/or family. If your loved one chooses this option, make sure they do their research on any restrictions or opt for joint ownership if this is an available selection. Also, inform trusted individuals of the boxβs location.
Storing your will documents online
For a more convenient option, they can store their will documents online. Thanks to the genesis and subsequent popularity of cloud computing, businesses and individuals can store large files and access them from multiple locations around the world.
The main concern with storing data in the virtual world is security. Is anything safe online? What if someone hacks in and manipulates or steals their will? The threat of viruses, hackers, and malfunctions is still relevant, so to combat these threats, online defence specialists are creating products such as Your Digital File, which uses a complex encryption system as a safeguard, ensuring that no unwanted visitors will access your loved one’s files.
Will Solicitors
Last, your loved one could opt to trust solicitors with their will documents. If they donβt have a personal solicitor or they donβt know where to look, they can always ask people they trust which solicitor they used. Make sure they take into account factors like, what if they change their legal representation? What if their lawyer retires or moves location? What if their office is broken into or subjected to a fire or flood? What if the paperwork is simply lost somehow? These are hypothetical situations that can become a reality in an instant, making life very tiresome. That said, if they are comfortable placing their trust in their long-term lawyer, this could be a viable option.
It is unavoidable that one day you will require the same care and support from your home team and so it is vital to keep this close-knit love and support around you whenever you can. No one wants to grow old on their own and so if you find that you need to reconnect with some members of your home team, do not hesitate. Seek them out and find out if they need a home team of their own. Unfortunately, it may not always be possible to have your close-knit family and friends around you. Birds flee the nest and settle miles away and acquaintances may fade into the distance or even pass away. As you get older, friendship groups get smaller, but the ones who have stuck around are the ones who stood the test of time and will inevitably last forever.
*Collaborative feature post*
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