Time to Move: Relocating to Support an Aging Loved One
Receiving a phone call in the middle of the night from a senior loved one who's distressed can be upsetting, and your concern can quickly turn to panic if you live hundreds of miles away. When incidents like this become commonplace, it may be time to consider moving closer so you can look after them locally. While this is a noble thing to do for your ageing parent or senior relative, making a big move does come with its own set of challenges.
Here, The Matraea Centre outlines what to look for and what to do to make this a smoother transition.
When It's Time to Move
The following are just a few of the reasons you may decide to move closer to your loved one to support them:
• Drug overdose. Seniors tend to take more prescription drugs than younger adults, which can lead to unintentional overdoses. The risk increases with the number of medications a senior takes. If you live closer, you can help manage your loved one's medication.
• Falls. Physical illness, poor eyesight, and poor hearing can affect a person's balance, leading to falls. The longer an older person has to wait for help while on the floor, the higher the risk of other complications, including death.
• Loneliness. Often, seniors become isolated when they lose close friends or have limited access to transportation. Social isolation and loneliness can lead to health conditions, such as poor cognitive functioning, anxiety, and depression.
• The onset of dementia. Several warning signs could indicate your loved one is experiencing the early stages of dementia. These include difficulty carrying out familiar tasks, impaired judgement, and misplacing things. Even in its early stages, the disease can lead to wandering, posing a significant risk to your loved one's safety.
• Serious or terminal illness. The more severe your loved one's condition, the less likely they can carry out simple day-to-day tasks. Having you close by as the end nears can be extremely comforting.
What You Can Do to Help
Besides providing social engagement, being closer to them will allow you to help in many other ways. You can organize their shopping and take care of tasks around the house they're no longer capable of doing.
Suppose their home is no longer suitable. In these circumstances, you may have to look at alternative arrangements, such as assisted living facilities or nursing homes, depending on the severity of your loved one's condition.
Another alternative is to relocate and have them move in with you and your family. You can adapt your home to meet their needs through various modifications, and you’ll have peace of mind being near them all the time.
A Stress-Free Move
Before diving in and hiring the first moving company you come across, make sure you search for highly-rated agencies and read their online reviews. This will give you an indication of their reliability and professionalism. Once you determine the company you wish to hire, make sure you get a written estimate.
Never accept an estimate over the phone. Legitimate movers will always come to your house first to conduct an in-home inspection to evaluate the cost. Following these simple guidelines will help you move with less stress.
If you’re having to juggle running a business with a major life change like a move, it’s helpful to invest in tools that will make your life easier. An integrated accounting system, for example, can make managing your business’s finances much more straightforward. You’ll be able to concentrate on the move knowing that your business is well taken care of.
For Peace of Mind
Being closer to your loved ones will allow you to help them in many ways and provide them with peace of mind knowing they have the support of the ones they love most.
Over the past 10 years, the Matraea Centre has housed midwifery services that have grown significantly within our community: now delivering over 60% of births in the Cowichan Valley. The original vision of the Centre was to provide multi-disciplinary natural health options to families with midwifery at its core. With the changes in the midwifery community and the clinic no longer located in the Centre, this is no longer a reality, but we maintain our commitment to the health and wellbeing of all families living in the Cowichan Valley.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us today!
Submitted by Hazel Bridges