During spring, many families begin looking to the future and summer vacation time. They might be planning a trip to the beach, a tropical destination, or an amusement park. They may even be planning on hiking in the mountains or traveling out of the country. What do you do, though, when an elderly parent, for example, needs in-home care assistance?
What do you do if you are the primary caregiver in his or her life? Should you still bother making plans? Of course, you should. Yet, you also have to make other plans, you have to consider the future and their needs as much as your own.
Determine if the senior can travel with you.
This might be your elderly mother or father, but they need help regularly. Maybe they don’t need assistance every single day, but a few days a week. Or, perhaps they do need help each day.
Will this person be able to travel with you? Do you want them to travel with you? Do they want to travel with you? These are the most critical questions you have to ask and answer before you make plans for this trip or vacation getaway.
If the senior is traveling with you…
Let’s say your elderly mother wants to go with you on this wonderful vacation. She is certainly willing to pay her way and maybe cover some other expenses. Or you may be paying for it by yourself. That doesn’t matter. You are happy she wants to spend time with you and the rest of your family.
Yet, she needs regular assistance. She needs help getting out of bed in the morning, sometimes she needs help taking a shower. Preparing meals is not going to be a big problem on vacation because you will either be doing that (already) in a vacation home or eating out more frequently. But all these other tasks will require your focus and energy.
Instead of trying to be the family caregiver for this entire vacation, thus missing out on some wonderful opportunities to rest, relax, and recuperate from all the hard work you’ve been putting in this year, turn to elder care services at your vacation destination.
If you are traveling somewhere in the United States, there is likely an in-home care agency operating in the area where you will be vacationing. Reach out and contact them now, find out about their availability, and the services they offer, and begin making a plan for that as early as possible.
If you are traveling out of the country, you’ll have to do some more research and find out what options are available. If it is feasible, secure a reservation for those services before too long.
If the senior will not be traveling with you…
You don’t want to have to worry every single day about his or her safety. So, contact an in-home care agency near where your elderly mother or other loved one lives and find out about the services they offer.
Will she need assistance with medications? Will somebody have to check her vitals and relay that information to her doctor? Or will they only need assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)?
Once you have a clear understanding of what types of services this senior will require while you are away on vacation, you can find the right in-home care aide or visiting nurse. Sometimes, a senior who needs medical attention as well as physical support and assistance may require an in-home care aide and a home health care provider or visiting nurse.
All of that can be provided through the right in-home care agency, and that will simplify the process so you can relax and enjoy your vacation with your family or even by yourself, whichever you prefer.