It's a big decision to have your aging adult move into your home with you. Other than the concerns around her health conditions, there may be other considerations you haven't thought about.
The Space that Is Available
Ideally, both your senior and the rest of the family each have space that they can consider their own. This gives everyone an element of privacy and yet allows everyone to interact in common areas. If you and your elderly family member are the only people in the house, dividing up the space you have might have its challenges, especially if the space is small. You might have to get creative.
The Social Situation at Home
If you've got your own family at home, your senior moving in can increase interactions between all of those different family members. This can help to improve your elderly family member's social life, especially if she's been isolating herself more and more. This makes helping your elderly family member interact with other people more often a lot easier on both of you.
Modifications that Might Be Necessary
You might have plenty of space available for your senior family member to move into, but some of that space may need modification in order to be as safe as possible. Her bathroom may need grab bars in the shower and around the toilet. You might want to look carefully at floor coverings and where cords and other types of clutter are located.
Transportation Requirements Need to Be Addressed
It's possible that your senior is moving in with you because quite a bit has changed about her life. She may find that many things she's done for a long time, like driving, are not as easy for her to do on her own any longer. If you're not able to take over driving for her as often as you'd like, you may need to look into other options. Other family members may be able to help, but having senior care providers available to handle transportation situations can help you and your aging adult both feel more comfortable.
By thinking about and addressing some of these considerations before you start moving your elderly family member in, you can put solutions in place. Senior care providers can help you to transition your senior into your home when she's ready to move. They can also help you to fill in any gaps in care that might still occur.
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