HOW TO PLAN IF YOU’RE WORRIED
Your parents are getting older, needing a quite a little support, you’re wondering what you should be doing now and what help they may need in future. This is the perfect time to start thinking about what is going to happen because you still have a lot of options.
If you leave it much later, these may not be available anymore.
So start planning now if any one of these applies:
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Your older relations are past 80;
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They are beginning to have health issues ;
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They are asking for help with everyday things;
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They live in an inconvenient house;
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You suspect they need more help than they have but are not asking for it.
Are they living in an inconvenient house. This is a home where:
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There are lots of stairs;
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It is hard to keep warm;
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They would be physically isolated without transport;
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A disabled person would have a hard job living there;
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Your posters are still on the bedroom wall or you cannot get into the spare room because of piles of newspapers.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
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Housing is the biggest issue. Where older people live will make the difference between a happy retirement and a very unhappy one. Click here to read about housing
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Support. Now is a great time to make life easier for everyone by sorting out legal affairs, bills, deliveries, finances. This will save a lot of time and stress in future.
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Future. It is also the perfect time to have a proper conversation about the future and people's preferences in terms of care. Look at all the options and make some decisions.
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Family. Now is also a good time to talk to all the family about what they can do. The time for excuses is over.
Pretty, but totally impractical. Time to move house...