How to be there for Your Elderly Parents

As our parents move towards old age, it gets challenging for us to be there for them, and it is also emotionally challenging to see one’s elderly loved ones move towards fragility.

Old age can be beautiful if you can help your parents in the best ways possible. For instance, if your parents need assisted living, or you feel the need to move them to a retirement home, then you will have to give them some time to prepare for this change mentally and emotionally.

Also, prepare their mind for hospice, especially when they have a serious illness and have reached that age where they will need serious assistance.

Nonetheless, old age doesn’t necessarily mean that one has to be bedridden and not leave the house. You can help your parents in living quality golden days of their life.

Here are some tips to help your parents in old age.

Read on to learn more!

Call Them Every Day

Now, if you live in another city or country, visiting your parents daily is difficult. However, you can be there for them by calling them every day. If your parents have grandkids, then make sure that you make a video call so that they can see their grandkids.

This way, they are more likely to maintain a positive attitude in old age.

Visit Them Regularly

If your parents are old, then they will want to see you more often than you might believe. So, make it a point to visit them regularly. If you live in the nearest city, make sure to visit them at least twice a month. However, if you live in another country and juggle more than two jobs and have your own family, then it might be difficult to visit your parents that often.

In this case, you will want to ensure that you spend special occasions with your parents, such as Christmas, their birthdays, anniversary, and so on.

The main objective here is to make your parents feel included and also to ensure that they are a part of your life and vice versa.

Encourage Them to Socialize

As mentioned before – old age doesn’t necessarily mean that things have to be boring now. It also doesn’t mean that one has to be bedridden now. You might want to encourage your old parents to socialize, visit their friends, keep in touch with their friends and family, and even go out.

If they have some health issues that delimit their mobility, you might want to get them a mobility scooter and help them move around without having to depend on anyone for assistance. With the mobility scooter, they will be able to run their errands and feel independent to a great extent.

Apart from socializing, you can encourage your parents to stay physically and mentally active. They can sign up for yoga classes or indulge in low-intensity workout sessions. You can encourage your elderly parents to play games, such as scribbling and puzzles, for mental exercise.

This way, they will stay mentally alert and keep Alzheimer’s off bay for as long as possible.

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