A Property Management Firm Could Greatly Assist A Traveler's Elderly Parents
Posted on: 16 December 2016
Caring for an elderly parent who lives alone is not easy. Caring for mom or dad becomes even more difficult for an adult child whose job requires traveling for extended periods of time. Leaving a parent alone for 30 days while conducting business overseas does not have to be nerve-wracking. Requesting assistance from others to help with care alleviates many burdens. Hiring home health professionals to care for the physical and mental well-being of a parent does help. While important, caring for a parent is not the only responsibility to address. The property in which the parent lives should not be overlooked either. Selecting a property management company to assist an elderly parent could aid in addressing any serious home-oriented issues that arise while the caretaker is away.
Property Managers Stand In
Property managers can directly handle tasks around a home or act as representatives when contractors must be hired for repair work. Through hiring a property manager, a lot of stress and strain is taken off the shoulders of an older adult. The adult child should not leave everything up to the parent though. A better plan would be to perform a few duties to make sure things go smoothly with the property management firm.
Simply hiring a property manager is not enough though. Additional steps must be taken to ensure things go the way intended:
Explore Legal Options
If the parent owns the home, then the adult child is going to be limited when dealing with the property management company. Handling affairs on behalf of a parent may require procuring power of attorney in order to handle matters on behalf of the parent. The service contract, in fact, may be best drawn between the child and the property manager if the adult parent is unable to effectively make decisions.
Setup Routine Tasks
Plan out the routine tasks the property management team could do. Taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, and even walking a dog are all duties that can be planned out in advance. This takes a lot of burdens off the shoulders of a parent and avoids unnecessary injury.
Request a Weekly Inspection
Mom or dad might not be able to determine if something is wrong in the house. Requesting the property manager send someone over to perform a weekly inspection of the interior and exterior ensures nothing serious -- or even minor -- is missed. This way, a major problem can be fixed right away if need be. The property manager can also assess whether the repairs can wait until the child returns home.
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