Many of us would definitely prefer that our elderly loved-ones stay in our homes to ensure they are well taken care of and properly cared for. Nevertheless, this situation can become very stressful for the family as leaving an aging parent home alone can pose a major issue if anything goes wrong. With that said, we all know some elderly people would want to live independently and today’s technology is striving to make that choice easier by providing families peace of mind so their elderly loved ones can age independently.

Even with a good retirement plan, two-thirds of older adults still need some form of assistance to go about their daily lives. If you want to ensure that they live comfortably, here are four things to consider when elderly parents choose to live home alone:

 

1. Essential Needs Delivered to the Door

 

To make things a bit simpler, efficient and work-from-home friendly, consider online grocery shopping to help your loved-ones reduce the physical stress of standing in line at the local market store.

 

Consider showing them how to grocery shop online so they feel more independent, or if they are not comfortable with this, place the order yourself and simply request that it be delivered to their door.

 

2. Prepare their home

 

To properly prepare a home for aging parents,we recommend you recognize when and where common needs or hazards may arise. These include key areas like the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Some simple changes you can make are: Installing bathroom rails which will help them walk through the house and avoid unexpected slips and falls, lowering shelves in the pantry so they can easily access items, adding more lighting and removing floor hazards.

3. Ensuring Health Care Measures

 

Stay in touch with the doctor, pharmacist and/or nurse of an elderly loved one. You can provide an extra hand in encouraging them to be proactive in the maintenance of their health. It is very important for you to understand their medical needs, including how frequently doctors’ appointments should occur. Mobile health tools that remind patients to take their medicine can be used or  calendar apps to track and anticipate upcoming doctors’ appointments are very helpful.

 

             4. Addressing emotional needs

 

Meaningful emotional contact is important for an aging parent — even simple gestures, like having others listen and share words of encouragement can positively influence their morale. With the vast popularity of elderly mobile smartphone owners, almost seven out of ten seniors own a mobile. Use video chat to make visual communication possible if you live or travel outside the region. Even if an initial training session is required, using this technology to see each other’s faces will be worth the effort.

 

The Takeaway

Today’s healthy seniors have new resources to make life easier as they continue enjoying the freedom of living independently. With today’s technological innovations to the way we communicate with each other, not only can the elderly can have the confidence they need to live independently, but their caregivers can too.