Smoke comes out of the kitchen and a burglar is coming out of the kitchen. Elderly parents can be left alone if they are able to recognize and respond quickly to emergencies. Kitchen smoke and the sound of burglar alarms should alert them to the potential danger. Seniors should be able to physically reach the phone, call 911 and communicate the emergency.
The answers to the following questions are useful in guiding family caregivers in their decisions to leave elderly parents home alone. When an elderly parent suffers from dementia, especially in the middle or late stages, the older person is likely to behave in unusual ways. Family caregivers who take it for granted that their elderly parents can safely stay home alone should pay more attention to the wishes of their loved ones. By visiting a geriatrician who specializes in the medical conditions of older people, older people may be able to regain their ability to function properly independent.
This difficult question involves you, the caregiver, and your loved one, who was once an independent person. Decreased physical and cognitive abilities make families consider whether it's safe to leave their elderly parents home alone. Older people without a diagnosis of dementia need to know their immediate environment if they want to stay home safely alone. Likewise, older people with poor judgment may allow strangers to enter the house, but not emergency personnel. For these seniors, being left alone allows them to become victims of financial scams, whether over the phone or in person.
Before deciding to leave your aging parents alone, remember to periodically reevaluate current situations, as the health and abilities of older people change over time. When older people are left alone, there must be alternative solutions so they can get to the bathroom on time. If we want to safely leave older people alone, they need to independently engage in activities of daily living (ADL), such as bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom and other personal hygiene activities. However, if the answers to the questions were comforting, you may still be able to leave your loved one alone, although you should regularly check their progress to ensure their future safety.
