Helping Your Aging Parent Feel Secure during Halloween Safety Month

Senior Care in East Quogue NY

Being a family caregiver gives you the special benefit of being able to spend more quality time with your aging parent as well as the other members of your family. This can be especially meaningful and beneficial during special times of year, such as the holidays. For many families, October kicks off the holiday season with Halloween. Celebrating this holiday can be a tremendous amount of fun for all of the members of your family, but it can also be intimidating and frightening for your elderly parent. October is also Halloween Safety Month, the perfect opportunity for you to ensure that your parent’s participation on the spooky season is as comfortable for your loved one as possible.

Use these tips to help your aging parent feel secure during Halloween Safety Month:

• Add extra lighting. Spooky lighting and shadows are popular for Halloween, but they can make your aging parent feel nervous. Add extra lighting around the outside of their home so that they feel safe and secure. They can add extra motion detector or spotlights for traditional lighting, as well as integrating light into their Halloween decorations if they desire to stay in the “spirit” while still feeling safe
• Be with them. If your aging parent wants to participate in the fun of Halloween but does not feel comfortable with the festivities or with the idea of having people come to their home when they are alone, consider spending the holiday with them. Have your partner or another parent go trick-or-treating with your children and spend the evening handing out candy with your aging loved one so that they can still have the fun of giving out treats and participating in the festive fun while staying feeling safe and secure
• Avoid it. Your elderly loved one might not want anything to do with Halloween at all. If that’s the case, take steps to help them to avoid the situation all together. Bring them to your house for the evening and allow them to spend time in an upstairs room, or use techniques to avoid trick-or-treaters, including not putting out jack-o-lanterns and leaving the front porch light off during trick-or-treat hours.

Starting senior care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make to help your elderly loved one feel safe, secure, and confident during the Halloween season and throughout the rest of the year. A senior home care services provider can give your parent a personalized set of services tailored to their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, as well as their personality, thoughts, and beliefs. This approach to care is designed to help your parent stay safe, healthy, comfortable, while also encouraging them to participate in the spooky holiday season in the ways that are right for them. If this involves spending time with your children, the care of a senior home care services provider can help you to feel greater peace of mind knowing that you can enjoy your quality time with all of the members of your family while being able to focus on supervising your children without worrying that your parent’s needs will not be met.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional senior care in East Quogue, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.