Getting old will happen to all of us at some point; your parents being ageing shouldn’t be a reason to abandon them. It is the right time to show them that you care and all the years they gave for you are appreciated. You don’t even need to leave your job to care for them; you only need to do a few things.
The older your parents get, the more they feel lonely and even unable to cope with the busy world we live in. You can implement some ideas to show your parents you still care about them and how they cope. Below are some of the moves you can make to help your parents manage.
Visit More Often
Since your parents are likely to be lonely, you need to ensure that you visit them every so often. This will make them know that you care and are thinking about them. In this day and age of technology, you may think communication is enough; it isn’t.
You need to see your parents in person as often as you can. Before you take that long vacation, ensure that you visit your parents. If you have kids, your parents may want to meet them from time to time – this will make them happy and easily cope with the world.
Be in Constant Communication
If you are too far or close enough, you need to keep in constant communication with your parents. It may look like a challenging task, but this is how you even get to teach them how to use that new gadget you got them. They may still be green about today’s tech, and it’s easy to teach them when you are in constant communication.
Even if you have a busy schedule, they only need a call once or twice a week. And you have the time as you can use the few minutes you get home from work to talk to them. It would help if you created time, even when you feel the day doesn’t give you enough hours to do everything.
Encourage them to Visit Community Social Gatherings
Your ageing parents also need to be part of the senior’s communities. Deep down, they have the urge to remain active even in their retirement. These communities can help them with that and also help them socialize with other people.
It would help if you encouraged them to be part of these social gatherings. It will also help you to stop the constant worry about them. There will be other members who check upon them, and also, they will also have friends to enrich their social life further.
When they meet new people, they will no longer be shy – if they were before. And they will become livelier with the kind of activities that happen in those gatherings.
Hire A Caregiver
When you are far away and have a tight schedule, you can’t make the trip home often. You may need to hire a caregiver. This shouldn’t only be an option when your parents have pre-existing medical conditions. It would help if you had someone who will go to check on them.
If they have a medical condition, this is the person that will ensure they take their medication on time. If your parents are based in Sydenham, there are a couple of options to look at. You need to conduct the necessary interviews to ensure that you get the right fit for your parents.
You only need to ensure that you do a thorough background check on them. But most firms will have done that for you. It’s also crucial that they get along with your parents before you sign off on them.
Take them to Your Office
When you live close to your parents, you can also take them to the office once every so often. They used to be in a working environment; they’ll know how to conduct themselves. Show them that you are proud to walk around with them.
Simply stepping out with your old parents is a massive plus for them. At that age, they start to feel insecure about you not wanting to walk with them outside. They may begin to feel like you are embarrassed by them – taking them to the office takes away all that fear.
Keep Your Cool When Explaining Things
When your parents ring up and ask you to help them with a computer, or TV option don’t start to get angry even when it is the simplest of things to you. Just imagine how you would feel when you grew up in times when TV’s were 1 channel and no remote. Just have a little consideration that the smallest of things to you can be the biggest of issues to them.
Use Post-it Notes
When teaching your parents about using simple things like the microwave, cooker or TV why not put some post-it notes around with answers to common issues they keep having. If you can jot down some simple instructions in just a few lines it might mean a few fewer phone calls.
Teach Them The Benefits of Technology
If a piece of tech can make their lives easier why not introduce them to it. Using Alexa for the blinds, “Hey Google” for the kettle and even a simple clapper to put the lights on. Technology is there to make all our lives easier, not just those who fully understand it.
Use Remote Connections
When you are being called and asked to fix the laptop or tablet you might want to consider allowing for a constant remote connection to them. This is easy to set up and once allowed you can then simply log into their devices and see for yourself what is wrong with them. That way you don’t have to explain anything complicated to them down the phone.
Explain Your Budy Life To Them
If you are tired of constantly being called or FaceTimed over the most basic of things why not try explaining how busy your own modern life is. If you explain how hard you work or how little time you have to chat to them they might well start calling upon you less. Just do so in a gentle way without getting irate over them calling you in the first place.
There are several ways that you can help your parents cope with the world today. These are just the few that could be summed up in a couple of words. All your old parents need is a bot of care, love, and constant checking upon them, and they’ll cope fine with the world.