After six years of caring for his wife, Joyce, Carlos Lucido is rediscovering joy and peace thanks to ComForCare Home Care.

When I was caring for my father and grandmother, I didn’t think of myself as a family caregiver. I viewed it as auxiliary duties of a daughter and granddaughter. Guiding my dad’s feet into his orthopedic boots and cleaning out my grandma’s refrigerator was a part of our unspoken family agreement to always support and love each other. When I was providing care, I thought “caregiver” was the term for a professionally-trained health care worker. “Caregiver” didn’t apply to me: I didn’t attend school for caregiving, I wasn’t receiving a paycheck, and I wasn’t caring for strangers but my own family.

Nine out of 10 people 65 and older want to stay in their home as long as possible. However, many will need assistance to do so. That’s where in-home care comes in.

Home care helps seniors continue to live in their own home and continue to do all the things they love.

From job opportunities that take adult children out of town to Mom and Dad retiring in a warmer climate, more and more families are living farther and farther apart. In fact, most adults 60+ live more than 280 miles from their nearest child.

Right now, there are approximately 5-7 million long-distance caregivers in the U.S., which is about 15 percent of all family caregivers. This number is expected to double by 2020. If you are one of the many million long-distance caregivers, here are some things you can do to help your parents live safely in their own homes.

Lately, it seems like your elderly parents are having some trouble keeping up with everyday tasks – there’s spoiled food in the fridge, Mom missed her doctor appointment and Dad has had some minor, but concerning, falls. While these incidents may not seem like a huge deal, they could be signs your aging loved ones need some assistance. Here are some things to watch for when visiting seniors.  

Have you ever seen a job posting like this?

Home should be a place of comfort and safety. As time passes, however, we can become a little too comfortable in those familiar surroundings to recognize emerging safety concerns. For this reason, living safely at home can turn into a challenge for older adults. 

With increasing age, vision and hearing become less acute, balance is less steady and reaction time slows. Household and personal tasks that were once easy and safe to complete can turn into difficult and dangerous activities.

Make Necessary Repairs

Make it a priority to look around your loved one's home for potential safety hazards. Take time to check that all appliances, electrical devices and outlets are in good working order. If necessary, make repairs and replacements. It's important to personally assess the situation. Your loved one may be reluctant to bring any household problems to your attention due to concerns about costs, maintaining personal independence or simply not wanting to make extra work for you. 

The Internet is an astounding place, full of information on almost every subject. Not surprisingly, many people take advantage of the vast amount of data. While young adults are most likely to go online, more and more seniors are using the Internet.

When elder loved ones begin to require assistance, there are several options that should be taken into consideration. In the past, nursing homes were the most common option to ensure the safety of senior family members. In recent years, assisted living facilities and home care aid have grown in popularity. Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages which should be considered prior to enrollment.