Eldery Parent Moving In? Tips To Ensure Everyone Stays Sane

Allowing your elderly parents to move into your home when they're no longer able to live independently is a kind and caring gesture. But it also presents some challenges. Where do you put all of their stuff? How can you maintain your privacy with them in your home? Here are a few tips that will help.

Rent a storage trailer.

Chances are, there's not room in your home for all of your things and for all of your parents' things. Suggesting your parents throw things away will likely touch a nerve, and surely you don't want to get rid of your items, either. So a good solution is to rent a storage trailer. This way, anything your parents don't need on a regular basis can stay in the trailer. They then don't have to go through the emotional trauma of getting rid of it (which is a big comfort when they're dealing with the harsh reality of having to move out of their own home). If they ever really need something, it's right there in the trailer.

When you rent a storage trailer and keep your parents items, you also get to have "extras" on hand. For instance, if your stove breaks and your parents' stove is in the storage trailer, you can use that one rather than buying a new one.

Give them a "jurisdiction."

Are you worried that your parents are going to start re-decorating the kitchen, re-organizing the bathroom, and making big decisions about the landscaping while you're away at work? This is a common problem among adults who have their retired parents move in. You can thwart it by giving your parents a "jurisdiction" from the beginning. Make it clear that you've made decorating decisions and such for most of the home, but that they're free to change things around in their bedroom and bathroom as they see fit. If you want, you can even give them control over how a living room or dining room is decorated. If they have an area they know they can focus on, this will help keep them from over-stepping in other areas.

Make plans for them to get out of the home.

You're going to want your alone time. Schedule something for your parents each week to get them out of the home. This will be good for them socially, and it will give you that time to breathe and be alone. See if your local YMCA offers classes for seniors. Maybe they have a friend that could pick them up and take them to dinner each week. You could even pay a personal friend to take them shopping once a week, if needed, so you can take a break.

Having elderly parents move in with you certainly has its ups and downs. By renting a storage trailer, giving them a jurisdiction, and making plans for them to get out of their home, you can maximize the ups and minimize the downs.

For more information and options, contact storage centers and facilities in the area, such as Mar-Rube Trailer Rental.

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