You may feel it’s a cost-effective alternative to senior living.
The truth is, there’s a lot more to making this decision. Before you put their home on the market and hire a moving company, consider these factors.
What to Consider Before Moving a Parent in with You
1. Your Home May Need Renovations to Be Safe
Are you considering moving your parent out of their own home due to fall risks and other safety or security hazards?
Is your home actually any safer?
You may need to renovate your home for handicap access, such as widening doorways. Or you may need to modify your bathroom and install a step-free shower and grab bars, add hand rails to staircases, or even add seat lifts in your living room.
At a minimum, you will want to ensure your floors are not uneven and torn carpeting does not present a fall hazard.
You may also want to add smart lighting or motion sensor lights to ensure your loved one doesn’t trip and fall in unfamiliar surroundings.
Also consider if your home has space for your aging loved one—including a private sitting room where they can spend time alone.
2. Your Household Expenses Will Rise
Out-of-pocket caregiving expenses can total as much as $5,000 annually if your parent lives with you. This figure includes food, household goods, personal hygiene items, transportation, prescription medicines and other medical expenses.
You may also need to hire a home health aide if you work full-time or if your parent needs round-the-clock care.
Even if your loved one pays for some of their own expenses, you will still have another mouth to feed and an additional person in the home using water and electricity.
3. You Will Both Lose Privacy
Having an aging parent move in can put a strain on your relationship with your spouse and your children. If you’re accustomed to certain family routines, you may need to find ways to incorporate your parent.
It’s also important that you set boundaries and be honest about one another’s desire for privacy and space.
4. Your House, Your Rules?
When an aging parent moves in with an adult child, they are likely to feel a sense of loss of independence and autonomy, say the experts at Care.com.
It’s important not to make your parent feel like one of your children. At the same time, it’s fair to set rules and boundaries both parties can agree upon before the move.
Make sure your spouse and your parent are both willing to compromise to make the arrangement work.
What Happens When You Can No Longer Care For Your Aging Parent?
Approaching the move with ground rules and an optimistic outlook can help make a multi-generational living arrangement successful.
Even so, there may come a time where you can no longer care for your aging parent under your own roof. Before the move takes place, sit down together to talk openly and honestly about what will happen if that day arrives.
Five Star Senior Living can help your parent maintain independence and dignity while receiving necessary daily care. Call the community nearest you to schedule a personal tour.