Five Appointments Your Elderly Parents Shouldn’t Overlook in 2018
Elderly Care Modesto CA – Five Appointments Your Elderly Parents Shouldn’t Overlook in 2018
With a new year comes the hope of starting anew and changing bad habits. Here are five appointments your parents need to make this year.
Agency on Aging
Make sure your parents go talk to their local agency on aging. They may not be aware of programs that can help them age at home. Meals on Wheels, transportation services, and companionship visits are all possibilities.
Your mom and dad may also find there are programs available to help them complete their annual taxes and set a budget. If the agency on aging doesn’t offer a service your parents need, they can often direct them to someone who offers it.
Annual Health Exam
Your mom and dad should go for yearly health exams. If they’ve been skipping them, now is the time to get caught up. Your dad should have a prostate exam. Your mom needs a mammogram. Blood tests to check cholesterol and blood sugars are important.
The check-up will listen to heart and lung sounds and check some organs like the kidneys and liver. Your parents may need to give a urine sample to check for a urinary tract infection. Finally, your parent may be given the chance to get vaccinations updated with things like tetanus, pneumonia, and flu protection.
Elder Law Specialists
A trip to an elder law practice is important. Lawyers specializing in retirement and aging can help your parents create powers of attorney for both financial and medical decisions. They help form wills, trusts, and medical directives.
To make sure that your parents’ wishes are carried out if they can’t speak for themselves, these legal forms are essential. It’s the best way to make sure doctors don’t put in feeding tubes or take life-saving measures if your parent would rather die peacefully.
Oral Check-Up
When did your parents last see a dentist? Ill-fitting dentures, gum disease, and cavities are all issues the elderly face. Your parents need to get caught up on dental visits and care if they haven’t been.
It’s important for them to go to their dentist twice a year. If they have any oral issues, get them taken care of as money allows. You don’t want dental issues to make it hard for your parents to eat properly.
Vision Screening
As people age there is an increased risk of developing several eye diseases, many of which offer little to no warning signs until eye damage and vision loss has occurred. The earliest detection of these diseases is through vision screening. If detected early, there are often various measures that can be undertaken to slow down or halt the disease.
When the routines associated with daily activities of living are impacted, don’t neglect your mom and dad’s needs. Elderly care professionals help them complete those challenges. Elderly care providers offer medication reminders. They help with laundry and housework. Elderly care aides cook meals, take seniors shopping, and help them put newly purchased items away.
Learn more about the full range of services offered by area elderly care providers. All it takes is one call to an elderly care agency to get you and your parents on the path to living happily and safely at home.