How To Help Your Parents As They Age

How To Help Your Parents As They Age

As we get older, we get ourselves prepared for our parents also to age. We know that their lives continue on, but as their children, we pull ourselves away to concentrate on our own lives. Our parents are still living their lives separately, and we watch from a distance to see if they need our help. The problem? Parents are proud! They often turn down help because they don’t want to lean on their children, or in their words, “be a burden.” 

You may not have a clue how you can assist them with their needs, especially if they want to be difficult about telling you what those needs are. They may push back when they start to become infirm, terrified of losing their independence. It’s bound to happen, which is why you have to work hard to keep your parents calm and happy, offering them help even when you know that they’ll turn it down. Suggesting home health care services over a retirement home may be met with satisfaction, for example. Either way, you need to be there to assist as they get older. Let’s check out some of the ways that you can help:

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• Firstly, try not to get angry when they snap at you. If your parents have always been active, age taking over can slow them down, and that’s frustrating. Empathise with them and consider yourself in their shoes: it’s hard.
• Be present with your parents. You have your own life to lead and run, and they get that, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot call them regularly and check-in with how they are doing. Put a reminder onto your notifications if necessary, but don’t forget that they are there for you, so be there for them. They likely will feel like they are interrupting your life if they try to call you.
• Call in the troops: siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. If you are concerned, but you live too far away, get the rest of the family to rally around and check in on your parents. You can get updates on their health and speak to them about how well they are doing.
• Suggest some help with their finances. Parents may baulk at the idea of someone else “poking their nose in”, but you need to get them to nominate someone to take charge of their finances when they cannot manage them themselves.
• Check out their home environment and make sure that they are living comfortably. Their home may no longer be suitable for their abilities if there are stairs, or arthritis prevents them from turning the doorknobs of the house. You need to ensure that you are on top of it if they are struggling with their home situation. This is where home adaptations and home care services can help! Get to know their circumstances and make suggestions for changes that could be made.

Parents won’t always accept your help. However, let them know that you are there for them and they will be able to see that you care.

DISCLAIMER: This post is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.