Caring for aging parents involves understanding
their needs, ensuring their safety, and providing emotional support. Planning
ahead is crucial.
Unfortunately, old age is something that comes to us all, and
watching your parents age can be really tough. You notice that they move a
little slower, remember a little less, and don’t have the same energy they used
to. As their child(ren), you feel it’s your responsibility to take care of
them; however, the whole concept can seem foreign. After all, they’ve looked
after you for your whole life, and suddenly the tables have turned. For this
reason, knowing how to take care of your parents in their old age can be tricky
to navigate. You don’t want to patronize them, yet you don’t want them to feel
unsupported, so what do you do?
Detailed below are just some of the ways to
take care of your parents in their old age.
Ensure
their home is safe, comfortable, and appropriate.
First things first, you need to
ensure that their living space is safe, comfortable, and appropriate for their
physical capabilities. As a result, caring for your parents may be a case of
helping them downsize. A lot of elderly people enjoy the idea of residential parks. Not only are static homes smaller
than traditional houses, but they also don’t have stairs, and they sit within a
close-knit community with responsive site staff. As a result, residential parks
are a great option for widowed people who might feel lonely. Similarly, having
staff on-site consistently gives residents and their children peace of mind.
Encourage
them to have a social life.
As previously mentioned, with old
age can come loneliness, especially for widowed people. Therefore, a social life is
incredibly valuable. Despite this, many elderly people have never gone out and
actively socialized before, meaning they may not have the confidence to do so.
Consequently, it’s the job of the child(ren) to encourage this socializing.
From coffee mornings to book clubs, there are a number of ways that elderly
people can get socializing. When we’re of working age, we socialize daily as we
head off to work; however, this isn’t the case for retired people, making for
lonely times.
Incorporate
safety systems into their homes.
Falls become increasingly common
with old age, and the biggest struggle tends to be getting up again. As a
result, having safety systems in
place is a good idea. For instance, if your parent is to fall, they can have
some kind of alarm that they can activate, which notifies you of their need for
help via your smartphone.
In addition to less stability,
elderly people also often become more forgetful. This can lead to the likes of
stoves and irons being left on, which is an obvious safety hazard. Therefore,
alarms can be installed so that your parents are notified of an appliance being
left on.
Fit
safety modifications.
There are a number of safety
modifications that can be made in an elderly person’s home. These include
railings, grab bars, night lights, shower chairs, ramps, and more. Having a
number of safety modifications installed will give everyone involved the peace
of mind that they need. This is all achieved without your parent(s) having to
sacrifice their independence, as they’re able to live safely without being
monitored 24/7.
Don’t
forget about their belongings.
If your parents do need to leave
their own homes to live with you or in an assisted care facility, don’t leave
their belongings behind. Moving homes, especially as an older adult, can be
overwhelming. Therefore, you need to ensure they’re surrounded with familiarity
to feel more comfortable in the space. This way, they won’t feel so much that
something is being done “to” them.
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