Keeping Older Parents Safe

If you are a person over 50 you are most likely entering, or have already, the phase of life that requires a bit more maintenance in the parental department.  Meaning, we are now very aware of our elderly parents’ well-being and safety.

As the aged population increases, we can be glad that many seniors are happy to continue striving for independence due to the very active nature of their older social communities.  However, with that independence comes the reality that many are living alone and attempting to function solo out of pride or stubbornness.  The cost of assisted living facilities is not affordable for many and so they choose to continue their current living situations.

To avoid arguments or confrontations about best case scenarios and options, I found it best to keep a detailed list of the following:

Address

Phone

Primary Care Physician Phone Number

Insurance Number and Member ID

Friends’ numbers

Apartment complex office number

For those elderly parents with cell phones, it is advised, for everyone actually, to add a contact under the acronym ICE which stands for In Case of Emergency.  This would allow emergency personnel to access and contact the right individuals quickly if any emergency arose away from home.

Additionally, although it is surprising to me how many individuals do not have a will, try to ensure that they have this or other pertinent documents and medical DNRs or instructions placed in files that are accessible in their living quarters to anyone who might need them.  As my living trust attorney said to me, this is a selfless act and providing a set of instructions can help to avoid major problems.

If you are someone in your later years that prefers to live independently, please provide this information to someone in your family.  It would also be immensely helpful to place a note card with this information on your refrigerator in case of emergency.

In the spirit of helping each other and asking for information to make life easier for each of us, simple requests like this not only provide peace of mind, but efficient assistance to those who might need it.