If your parents are now of an age where they are struggling to look after themselves then they may be relying on you to help. This can be incredibly difficult especially if you have your own life to lead. Not everyone will have the time or the space to help their parents, they could have children of their own and busy jobs.
If you are looking for helpful tips and tricks when it comes to looking after your parents then take a look at the article below.
Visit Them Often
One thing you can do to help your elderly parents is visit them as often as you can. This will give them something to look forward to each week and offer them the chance to see a familiar face. The last thing you want for your parents is to feel lonely and like nobody wants to see them, aim for at least once a week but if you can do more then that’s great.
If there are a few of you that can make the trip to visit then set up a rolling schedule. Each person can have a different day and then the pressure doesn’t get too much for one single family member.
Hire Help
If there is simply nothing that you can do for your parents, for instance if you live too far away or in a different city then you will need to explore options. If they are still capable of looking after themselves then you don’t want to go down the nursing home avenue just yet. However, there may be some tasks that just can’t be done in the home anymore. This is where a home care agency can help you out as a family. They can come in and sort out meals, cleaning, and pills for your elderly parents.
Take Them Places
You may be looking for places to go with your elderly parents, always try and include them in activities you do so they don’t feel like a burden in your life. This could be going anywhere from the zoo to abroad somewhere. If you love spending time with them then why not? Speak to them about where you are going and always keep them in the loop.
Encourage Socializing
Finally, socializing is a wonderful way for your elderly parents to meet people who enjoy the same things as they do. This could be anything from bingo to hitting the gym, if they have a shared interest then they are more likely to carry on going.
Try and encourage them to join elderly groups in the neighborhood or even meet up with existing friends. It has been shown that meeting friends at least twice a week can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline as people age.
So there you have it, a useful guide on how to look after your elderly parents. Remember, it isn’t a given that you will care for them when they reach old age. If you are able to then this will relieve some of the pressure and stress from everyone involved.
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