Your Quick-Start Guide to Helping Elderly Parents:

Sometimes it creeps up on us slowly. Sometimes there’s a crisis – one parent’s death, or a serious diagnosis – that makes it clear: Our parents aren’t getting any younger. And as they age, they may need more help from their adult children in taking care of themselves. Welcome to life in the sandwich generation, when you’re caring for elderly parents while raising children. Sandwich generation stress is real; sandwich generation parenting can be challenging at best, and maddening at worst. And just plain exhausting in either situation.

I got to go through this process in my 20s, when my 70-something-year-old father was dying from cancer. Thankfully, my own mama’s health is still solid. But I’ve seen more than my share of other relatives, neighbors, and good friends struggle to figure out what to do when a parent falls ill. Especially when (as was the case with my father’s final illness) they themselves live several states away. And are caught up in their own lives, jobs, and raising their own kids.

If any of this sounds familiar, you need this quick-start guide on helping your elderly relatives live as well as possible, for as long as possible.

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Care Options for Elderly Parents: Your Caring for Aging Parents Checklist

1. Are their affairs in order?

The ideal time to start discussing your parents’ future plans is before you need to. That is, when they are still 100% well, both in mind and in body. As I know from watching others go through it, when affairs aren’t in order, the only thing worse than trying to work with a parent whose health is failing is having them pass without getting their affairs squared away.

So if you don’t already know the answers to these questions, ask your parent(s) if they’ve met with an estate attorney, and drawn up a will. Ask them what their wishes are, should become physically or mentally incapacitated. Discuss whether they have (or would consider preparing) such documents as a living will. Make sure that someone knows where copies of all these documents are – at least, the executor of their estate and/or their lawyer should have copies. (Who is that person, by the way, and how do you reach them?)

When should we discuss these things?

When they’re still fully functional is also the time to discuss who should have things like a healthcare power of attorney or financial power of attorney for them, in the event they should become incapacitated. Equally important (though by no means easy), who will determine that it’s time for one of these to go into effect? And how will that person determine that the power(s) of attorney need to go into effect?

Finally, while your parents are still healthy and mentally sound, it’s a good idea to make sure that you know the names and contact information for their doctors, their religious leaders, and their close friends and neighbors, especially if you live somewhere else. Also be sure that your parents have given their written permission to all medical providers for you to discuss your parents’ health with them. These people may be able to alert you to any alarming or sudden changes they notice in your parents’ demeanor, abilities, or behavior.

These are NOT fun things to talk about, I know. But as someone who’s watched families wrestle with this from the outside, trust me when I say it’s SO much easier to be proactive before issues arise, than to try to work through these things while your parents’ health is faltering.

2. Can they stay at home?

Even though they still may be sharp as tacks mentally, physically your parents may need help with these aspects of day-to-day living. If your parents are eager to remain in the home they love, where they feel safe, it’s up to you to help them do this for as long as possible.

Talk to them, and make it clear that you’ll do everything in your power to fulfill their wishes. But at the same time, you need to be transparent about the fact that if they ever become a danger to themselves or others, it will be time to consider alternatives.

Helpful aging-in-place modifications:

When trying to help your parents stay in their own home, think about what things you can do to help make living there easier for them, such as:

Lowering shelves in the living room
Getting a larger remote for the TV
Installing a handicap ramp at the front of the house, to make steps less of an issue
Adding a first-floor bath and/or bedroom
Raising their bed and toilet seats, and replacing their favorite chair with a lift-assist one
Installing grab bars in showers/tubs and around toilets
Helping them arrange for a cleaning service and handyman-on-call to help with basic maintenance, or scheduling regular times to visit and take care of their small house projects
Going through their home with them to help identify possible hazards – for example, small throw rugs that could be slipping hazards to someone using a cane

3. Do they need more help?

If your parents are really starting to struggle either physically or cognitively, it may be time to have a gentle conversation (or ten) about getting them some additional assistance with their day-to-day needs. This doesn’t have to mean full-time care in a retirement home – but it could mean more outside help with in-home care. For example,

Could they use some help not just with cleaning, but also with laundry and food prep?
Can they still manage errands, or is it time to give up driving? Can someone else take them shopping and to doctor’s appointments?
Are there senior public transportation services, such as on-demand senior buses, that they can use? Or might they start getting groceries and prescriptions delivered?
Have they looked into getting meals delivered through Meals On Wheels or a similar service?
Can they still dress themselves, bathe themselves, and get themselves to the toilet at night, or would overnight in-home care be beneficial?
Do they have a chronic health condition that requires ongoing medical care? Can you arrange regular checkups from a visiting nurse?

Not sure where to start?

If your parent has recently been hospitalized, they should have access to a social worker through the hospital who can help them (and you!) initiate and coordinate these services. If you’re starting from scratch, search online for your local city or county’s Office of Aging, which can help you get started on locating and contracting at-home services.

Additionally, you can search online, or ask friends and colleagues in the area, for a top home care agency in your local area to find trusted professionals who can provide the services and care your parents need. Checking with people you know who’ve been down this road, if possible, gives you a head start on finding people you can trust. Because bottom line, you need to be able to trust that the people entering your parents’ home are qualified, thoroughly screened, and genuinely committed to their well-being.

That’s why it’s so important to choose a reputable provider in your local community. For example, the team at Home Care Assistance Newcastle offers personalized care plans tailored to individual needs, with care managers available daily to support families and respond to concerns. Consistent communication and accessibility can provide valuable reassurance, particularly for families managing care alongside work and parenting responsibilities.

Checklist for researching in-home care providers for elderly parents:

When researching providers, here are some things to look for:

Transparent communication and regular updates for family members;
Staff who are properly trained and insured, and fully background checked;
Flexibility to adapt care plans as needs change;
A commitment to supporting independence and quality of life; and
Plenty of experience working with older clients and their family members to ensure the care your family members need.

Reading reviews, speaking directly with care coordinators, and asking detailed questions before making a decision can help you identify providers that align with your family’s needs. A quality provider should welcome your questions and be transparent about their services.

4. Should they live with you?

If your parents can no longer live completely on their own at home, but moving to a step-up retirement community assisted-living facility is not an option, you might consider caring for elderly parents at home. Specifically, YOUR home.

True, you may not have lived with them full-time since you were a teenager. But the circumstances may be right, for them and for you, to join forces and merge households – whether that means moving back into your childhood home with your own family in tow, or adding an in-law apartment onto your own residence. Compared to the cost of assisted-living care, even such an extensive building project as this will be quite reasonable, and the proceeds of selling your parents’ home can fund the project.

Your spouse will need to be on board with this plan. And depending on your children’s ages and your parents’ condition, you may need to call upon your kids for help in caring for their grandparents, too. But for all the challenges of having an older parent move in with your family, the benefits are huge for everyone.

And they go far beyond the financial benefits, compared to assisted-living costs. Having a grandparent around the house can be a huge plus for your kids. Having another generation in the household can lead to a calmer home, and your kids will no doubt love the opportunity to spend so much time with their grandparents. At the same time, though, the dynamic of family life will inevitably change, so you need to be ready for this.

5. Do they need full-time care?

Sometimes, for whatever reason, we just can’t care for our parents to the extent that they need. There’s no shame in realizing you’ve reached this point, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. There simply comes a time in some families where, for the benefit of your parents’ health and well-being (as well as your own), they may need more specialized full-time residential care. Ultimately, this may mean finding a nearby retirement community or relocating them to an assisted living facility (depending on their individual needs and circumstances).

If this comes to pass, it’s important to make the decision of care a joint one as much as possible. Your parents will most likely need to spend a significant portion of their savings to cover their care, which makes it only right that they have some say in where they end up. Keep dialogue open at all times, and never make a decision without them. This can lead to anxiety, stress, and unnecessary mental health problems.

Your parents are the people who made you who you are. By keeping the lines of communication open, you can help to make their twilight years as comfortable and rich for all of you – them, you, and your children – as possible.

Have you had any firsthand experience in caring for older parents or other older relatives? Please drop your tips for living life in the sandwich generation in the comments below!

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