Navigating care for elderly parents is a challenge most of us face at some point in our lives. It requires understanding their needs and wants, and matching the level of support.
According to ScienceDaily, research has found that in three-quarters of families, this responsibility falls to just one of the children. At Morada Friendswood, we are here to provide assisted living for your parents when care at home is no longer the right choice for their needs.
Friendswood, TX, a former Quaker colony in the suburbs of Houston, is a friendly city known for its coffee shops and parks. Niche called it one of the best places to live in Texas, and we agree. As the site of Morada Friendswood, we believe it's the perfect setting for aging parents to receive high-quality care and live a fulfilling life.
This is a topic as individual as the people themselves. There is no one right or wrong way to care for your parents, but the following senior care guidance could help your family make aging parents decisions with more confidence.
It's important to recognize that both needs and wants are important. If assisted living for your parents meets their physical needs, but none of their preferences, they are unlikely to live their best life in that community.
Needs tend to focus on their activities of daily living. All seniors in assisted living communities need some level of support with one or more of the following:
Communities like Morada Friendswood have caregivers available 24/7 to address these needs. Each senior has an individual care plan that outlines exactly what care they need. The focus is on dignity and maintaining as much independence as possible.
In terms of your parents' wants, consider their social, spiritual, and emotional needs. It may be important to them to remain connected with their family, friends, or faith group locally. Alternatively, there may be specific activities, such as fitness classes, art groups, and craft sessions, that they would like to try.
Discuss the activities on offer at Morada Friendswood with them first. Our activity calendar is constantly changing and has sessions that appeal to a broad array of interests.
Above, we discussed the support assisted living can provide. But what if your parents don't need as much support as that provides, or they are starting to struggle with memory conditions and require additional assistance? Morada Friendswood provides two more excellent senior living options: independent living and memory care.
Independent living is a great choice for adults who are still autonomous but no longer want the responsibility of running their own home. They don't receive personal care, but they get to be part of a community and enjoy an apartment designed with seniors' needs in mind. At Morada Friendswood, our independent living community helps seniors stay independent, active, and engaged.
If your parents have been diagnosed with memory conditions, our memory care community can provide the specialist support they require. Our caregivers are all trained in supporting seniors with dementia and other memory conditions. They understand the vital importance of personalized care, tailored to each individual's needs.
Family support in care for aging parents makes a huge difference to everybody's health and happiness. Get together as a family, either in person or virtually, to discuss roles. Designate who will handle each aspect of preparing for the transition to senior living so that everyone can play their part, and responsibilities are not placed solely on one family member.
Consistent communication smooths aging parent decisions and helps get everybody engaged in long-term planning.
First, don't force the issue. This could just make them more determined not to comply and create conflict between you and your parent. It may be good to take some time to determine an alternative approach that may be more likely to be acceptable to them.
For example, you may want to enlist the support of a trusted friend or family member. This may be someone in your community whom your parents respect and will listen to. If they value the medical opinion of their doctor, you could also ask them to try to explain why this is the right time to make the transition.
Alternatively, a frank discussion about your feelings may help. If you're carrying the load of care by yourself, your parents may not realize the impact it is having on you. A blame-free conversation could make them more amenable to touring our community.
It's a good idea to consider a community like Morada Friendswood, which offers multiple senior living options on one site. For example, your parents may begin with independent living, but after a few years, they may need additional support. It may be possible for them then to transition to assisted living.
If one or both of your parents then develops Alzheimer's, or another memory condition, it is an easy sideways move into memory care. Of course, each senior's journey is different, but this illustrates the benefit of having three options all on the same campus.
Absolutely. As a pet-friendly community, we encourage our residents to consider bringing their beloved furry friend with them. Doing so can ease the transition and bring comfort as they settle into their new home.
It can be tough accepting that our parents no longer have the strength and energy they once did. However, they are still the same loving people they have always been, and by arranging care for elderly parents, you show them how much they mean to you.
The advantage of choosing Morada Friendswood assisted living for your parents is that we have three options right on one site. This can provide excellent care and peace of mind in the long term.
Reach out today to discuss what care for your elderly parents could look like in our community.