Our relationship with our parents tends to go full circle. At some point, we will need to offer more and more support to our aging parents.
When we’re young, they look after us. When we’re an adult, we move towards becoming something closer to friends with our parents.
And when they’re older, the roles reverse. We look after them more than they look after us. It’s important to take this responsibility seriously.
While older parents are unlikely to ask for help, it’s just a fact that many older people do need some support in various aspects of their life. While it’s important not to micromanage their lives, ensuring that you’re helping out in certain areas is key for them living their best life.
In this post, we’ll look at six ways you can support aging parents.
Regular Contact
Loneliness is one of the most prevalent issues that affect older people. Once a person leaves the workforce, they need to interact with other people less frequently, and also spend more time at home, which can make them feel a little isolated. One easy way to combat this issue is to stay in regular contact with your parents. A daily phone call will take five minutes, but can make a world of difference in their lives. It’s also important to invite them out for dinner and to other social gatherings as often as you can, too. They won’t always say yes, but we all know how nice it is to be asked!
Help Around the House
Your parents’ physical capabilities will begin to decline as they get older. That can make everyday tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, more difficult to manage. While you don’t necessarily have to become their full-time cook and cleaner, it is nice to help out a little. After all, why not? If you’re visiting, then put your youthful energy to good use by sweeping up or preparing a meal while you’re there. You don’t even have to ask them if you can help out — they’re unlikely to stop you if you’re dragging a broom around while you walk.
Looking After Their Well-being
It’s inevitable that your parents will face some health-related issues as they get older. Hopefully, these issues will only be mild and they’ll be able to continue living life to the fullest. Still, it’s important to make sure that they’re able to handle these issues. For example, if they have a health complaint, then could you make an appointment with a doctor and drive them there? Or, if they have hearing loss, could you help them with their hearing aid maintenance? How you assist your parents’ well-being will depend on the type of issue they have. Whatever it is, do some research and see how you can help them. It can also be a little daunting to face a health complaint, so aside from assisting them practically, you’ll also be providing some emotional support as well.
Encourage to be Social
As we said above: older people tend to become a little less social as they get older. You can help your aging parents by encouraging them to be social. They might not be aware that there are community groups that exist solely for older people in their local area. Could you research to see what’s available and then offer to take them? Some older people need a little convincing to do something out of their comfort zone, so make sure they know that there’s no pressure to go again and again, but that they might get a lot of value from simply pushing themselves a little.
Financial Support for Aging Parents
It’s a fact that many people under prepare financially for retirement. And that can mean that many older people end up having to tighten their belts more than they thought they would. Hopefully, your parents have taken steps to secure their financial future, but if they haven’t, then you could consider helping them out. That doesn’t mean spending your savings on luxuries, but just ensuring that they know you can help them from time to time when needed. So long as your parents can always have the heating on during winter and have food in the fridge, then that’s enough.
Explore Living Arrangements
At some point, it may not be practical for your aging parents to stay in their home, at least not in its current form. If it looks like your parents might be struggling at home, then consider making some adjustments. This could involve adapting the home to be more age-appropriate (such as installing a stairlift) or suggesting that they move into a retirement home.
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