What to Do When an Elderly Loved One Falls Ill

A loved one falling ill at any age can be a scary experience, but this is even more so when the person in question is elderly and unable to look after themselves. To help your parents cope with a long-term condition or help them throughout their recovery, you need to take the steps you need to take when a loved one becomes ill.

Assess Whether You Can Care for Them

When a loved one becomes ill, they may need extra care that the hospital or medical facility that they are in cannot provide for them once they are discharged. If this is the case, you need to consider whether you will be able to give them the care that they need for their illness to be well looked after. For instance, you should consider familial and work commitments and how these might have an impact on the amount of time you have for them. You should not feel guilty if you are unable to give them the healthcare that they need, though. Instead, you should look at the senior living facilities near you. For people wondering ‘what is senior living?’, Caring Advisor can give you all of the information you need, along with the potential options that are available for your elderly person.

Involve the Family

You should not have to cope with your loved one’s illness alone, though, and to make sure that they get round the clock care, you should involve the rest of your family members, as well as any of their friends that could help. You should then develop a rota to make sure that their care is coordinated. For instance, you might have different shifts for each day and night, as well as people to complete chores and to bring groceries for them. If this is not possible, you should look at employing a nurse for them.

Look at Their Finances

Healthcare is not always cheap, though, especially if your loved one has a long term condition or does not have health insurance. Then, you should check their financial situation along with any financial aid that you might be applicable for from the government or from local charities. This will enable your senior to get the care that they need without draining their bank account.

Plan For the Future

When a loved one becomes ill, there is a chance that their life may have to adapt to their new illness. If this is the case, you need to start to plan for the future. This includes fixing up their home with the right equipment and tools and facing any legal challenges that you might have to confront as they become sicker.

Get Them the Treatment They Need

However, if your loved one is sick, they might not be able to decide on their own treatments or what is best for them. In these cases, that person needs to be you, and you should push for them to get a treatment that suits them and helps them to improve. To do this, you should research alternative therapies, discuss different options which doctors if their treatment is not working, and make sure that they are getting the right treatment every day.