One of my favorite memories from my childhood is of a warm spring evening standing on top of my dad's shoes as he waltzed around the kitchen, trading off between mom and I.
His strength and enthusiasm for life was as vivacious as it was contagious! Mother would teasingly chase us out her domain while she fussed over dinner and the scuff marks we made on her floor.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that I've always looked at my aging parents as I had that day when we whirled through mom's kitchen! Things have changed; daddy has traded in his dancing shoes for diabetic shoes and mother is no longer able to chase either of us.
Our roles have changed too.
I worry over them when their sick, fuss over their eating habits and make sure they take their baths.
This reversal of roles creeps up on us like crow's feet and smile lines; you don't realize it happens until it's staring you in the face.
I've learned a lot from my parents over the years- lessons about planning ahead, looking out for our neighbors, saving money for rainy days- and knowing when to spend out of necessity-rain or shine.
I've had to put those life lessons into action - we're preparing .
My parents have many needs and much like raising children - caring for our aging parents can take a village! I've learned to tap into community resources, federal programs, Church functions for seniors, and most recently learned about the free shuttle bus to Bingo! With the evident changes in my parent's mobility I knew it was time to take the "bull by the horns" and equip their home for aging in place.
My biggest concern was money.
I knew that I had to do everything I could to keep my parents in their home for as long as possible- and a quick Google search proved that my concerns for their independence should begin in their bathroom.
I learned that US hospitals report an approximate 300,000 broken hips in senior citizens per year- and majority of those hip fractures occur in the bathroom.
I also learned that many seniors become so afraid of stepping over the side of their tub that they sit on stools in their shower; I vaguely remembered seeing a small stool in mom's shower.
It was time for action.
We were ready to give that proverbial bull a run for its money! We began our quest by requesting information from various walk in tub companies; we received emails, faxes and catalogs from near and far.
It didn't take long to see that the price and quality of walk in tubs fluctuated more than daddy's sugar levels! After weeding through the options we decided to go with Remain Active Walk In Tubs; their prices were lower because they shipped their tubs factory direct.
The sales person assisted us with choosing a raised toilet seat, safety bars and even ADA compliant levers for doorknobs.
She also advised that we enlarge the bathroom door to make way for scooters and walkers if they were to be used in the future.
The tub arrived 2 weeks later, just as explained by the sales associate and took 2 days to complete the installation.
Even though my parents are in the wintertime of their lives - my heart will always see them as the waltzing couple so many springtime's ago.