By Bob Gregory
You can start by
being thankful that your mother still embraces life and wants to participate in
the world around her! So many elderly
people have the attitude that a Nursing Home is where they go to wait for the
end of life. This may be true in its
most literal sense but the quality of life and how one enjoys their time can be
completely different. You mother still
sees herself as “alive” and wants to continue the experiences she had when she
didn’t need a Nursing Home and you need to help her continue that positive
attitude. There is an old saying that
life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to what happens and I
think your mother is definitely reacting to her situation in a very positive
manner. I have some suggestions that may
make you feel more comfortable taking your mother shopping and turning an
experience you may dread into something you both can enjoy.
Ideas for taking an
elderly parent on an outing:
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First and foremost, make sure your parent is
physically and mentally well enough to go on an outing. The will and determination of your parent to
go may be overshadowed by their medical ability to leave the facility. Discuss the outing with the caregivers and
make sure they are in agreement your parent is capable of handling the planned outing. Also, discuss the duration of the outing and
any special needs that you should be aware of during the outing such as
medications, special toileting, transportation etc.
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| able to carry a wheel chair. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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If your parent is in a wheelchair or needs to
carry special medical equipment and you are not prepared to handle the
transportation, I suggest contacting a transportation company that specializes
in transporting physically challenged individuals. You can meet your parent at the Senior
Facility and ride with them to and from the shopping mall. Do some research on the transportation companies available and discuss with them the needs of your parent, the destination and
duration of the outing. Some companies
will even provide an assistant for the day to help with the chair, equipment
etc.
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| English: Family Bathroom sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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Not the same sex as your elderly parent and
worried about toileting and changing rooms?
This is usually more stressful than another aspect of the outing for
most children and their elder parent. If
you and your parent are comfortable with the toileting and dressing room, then
do the research on stores and restaurants that offer “family” restrooms and
dressing rooms. Most major department
stores and large chain restaurants now accommodate “families”. A simple phone call to the stores or
restaurants you plan to visit will confirm they can or cannot accommodate you
and that will give you time to rearrange your outing so there are no surprises. If you or your elderly parent is
uncomfortable, then there are alternatives.
Simply contact an In Home Healthcare provider for an assistant for the
day. These companies can provide just
the right type of assistant whether it is for help in the bathroom or changing
room or even help administering medication and tending to special medical
equipment. There are also Adult Sitters
that you can hire for the day to come along to assist. Again, explain the nature of the outing, the
needs of your parent and the duration.
Be careful not to plan too much activity for your parent so
that the outing does not become a mental or physical setback for them. The outing should be a wonderful experience
for you and your parent and you will be surprised at the stories your parent
will share with their friends about the day!
It’s a great mental boost for someone to feel the freedom of going out
on an adventure even if it’s for a short shopping trip. I would suggest you do everything in your
power to make the outing happen and try to avoid negative conversations about
how much the outing is costing you or how difficult it was to make the
arrangements. If you do have to decline
the outing due to your parent’s health or the task is more than you can handle
or afford, then try and present an alternative such as shopping online with
your parent and bringing back outfits for them to try. You can also get permission to bring “take
out” food from your parent’s favorite restaurant and make the experience as
close to an outing as possible.
If would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted
Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope
you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas,
please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people
care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Bob Gregory is an advocate
for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated
to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide
their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or
other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com
Wow, it sounds like your mother is very active and independent... that is fantastic! I would suggest starting by finding a caregiver who can spend time with your mother daily - assisting her with the basic caregiving essentials such as tasks around the house, cooking, cleaning, etc. Allowing a senior to remain safe and sound in their own home is a truly amazing thing, and it sounds like your mother would benefit from this immensely! Hope all is going well.
ReplyDeleteJ.O. from Home Care in Newport NH, the leading provider of home care services throughout New Hampshire