Following Up On Elder Care: What You Need To Do When Needs Change

If you have placed your elderly parents in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you undoubtedly had a checklist form to fill out on each parent. This checklist details what your parents are still able to do for themselves, and what they need help with. However, since most elderly people continue to deteriorate prior to death, you should have regular follow-ups with the facility in which your parents reside. Here is what you should do.

When Their Needs Change

As your parents' health or physical needs change, you need to change their care plans. That means calling the facility and requesting a brief meeting with the staff who are primarily responsible for meeting your parents' needs. Then you have to explain how the needs have changed, as well as any changes that the staff have also noticed. Then fill out a new checklist for their care plans so that staff can continue to provide optimal care.

Frequency of Meetings

There is no set schedule for these meetings. People age and deteriorate at different rates. That said, schedule this important meetings with facility staff when you, the guardian of your parents' healthcare, notice that your parents are needing more help.

Major Changes in Health

If your elderly parents have any major changes in health, you should address that with facility staff immediately. It helps to approach your parents' major heath concerns as a team, so that your parents can receive immediate care for whatever their issues are. For example, if you notice that your mother has some bed sores that are getting worse, or that your dad is wandering the halls with his pants halfway down and mumbling, they should both be assessed for advanced treatments. In your mother's case, she may need to be turned in bed more frequently, and/or have the sores cared for by a registered nurse. In your dad's case, dementia may be settling in, or he may need an assessment for Alzheimer's. You, as their guardian, would have to sign off on these treatments.

Consider Monthly or Weekly Reports

When things really begin to roll downhill for your parents, consider monthly or weekly reports. You can do this simply by signing a form that gives you the right to receive information over the phone regarding your parents' health and present state. You can also visit your parents weekly or monthly and ask for a status report then. Contact a nursing home, like Windsor House Greenville, for more help.

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