Holiday Tips for Adults Caring for Aging Parents

If you are visiting aging loved ones this holiday season, it may be the perfect time to evaluate their ever-changing care needs. Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore can help you spot the warning signs and is here to partner with you with some valuable resources to protect the safety and independence of your aging parents.

Easterseals in New Castle houses a Resource and Technology Demonstration Center that features various types of assistive technology or “tools for independence” for people with disabilities or aging conditions. Visitors to the Resource Center can see a bath and kitchen area modified for safety and accessibility. Also available to try are different types of ramps, automatic door-openers and hundreds of devices like a talking microwave, adapted computers, and light-up slippers that light your way. In addition, Easterseals offers a home assessment service that can help seniors make decisions to continue to live in their homes rather than move to a long-term care facility.

If you have time over the holidays, bring your aging loved ones to the Easterseals Resource Center in New Castle you may find the perfect gift for them this holiday season something to keep them living safer in their own home. To schedule a visit to see these and other items in the Easterseals Resource and Technology Demonstration Center in New Castle, contact Nancy Ranalli at (302) 221-2033 or nranalli@esdel.org.

Keep these tips from Easterseals handy to recognize the warning signs that your parents may need assistance:

Survey the house. Take note of the overall state of your parent’s home. If they are normally tidy and organized, is the house in good shape?

Check the medicine cabinet. Familiarize yourself with what medications your parents should be taking and make sure that prescriptions are not past their expiration date.

Go for a ride. By riding in a car with your parent behind the wheel, you can note his or her speed, response to pedestrians, parking ability and other important driving factors.

Talk with friends and neighbors. They are likely to notice any significant differences in your parent’s behavior and would be aware of any changes in their daily routine.

Watch for a change in personal habits. If your parents are bathing or shampooing infrequently, not shaving, or dressing inappropriately when the weather is either hot or cold, it should be a red flag that something could be wrong.

Easterseals offers a range of services, including outpatient rehabilitation therapy, early intervention services for children, day services for adults with physical disabilities and cognitive disabilities and assistive technology services to increase the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. For more information about Easterseals, call 800-677-3800 or visit http://www.easterseals.com/de