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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
