How To Help Our Parents When They Get Older

Reaching old age by enjoying life doesn’t have to be so difficult. If parents can count on their children’s help to help them in this stage of life, everything will be easier.

Do you visit or have regular contact with your parents? Do you know what they need in their daily routine? Is the care of your elderly parents shared between your siblings? Are you aware of your medical controls and treatments? Do you often urge your parents to stay active?

All these aspects are essential for your parents  to stay healthy, both physically, emotionally and mentally. It’s important that they feel good, not just for themselves, but because if that’s the case, you’ll also live better.

Retired but active parents

If there’s one thing that can help keep your body and mind healthy, it’s staying active.  If body and mind are active, they will be more likely to stay sane. You don’t have to be young to find an activity; just have the encouragement of loved ones and the environment around you.

Any activity is good for our parents. The important thing is to occupy  the body and/or mind . Meet with friends, attend presentations or courses that interest you, perform manual activities or crafts according to your personal skills, visit places such as museums and parks, etc. All of this can help make your parents happy. Contact with the world favors the oblivion of diseases, in addition to old age itself.

understanding and patience

Old age can become a horrible stage for your parents and yourself if you don’t have enough patience and understanding. The basic rule is to put yourself in their shoes.

Think about how you would feel if you were in your shoes:  no work, poor health, no energy, less social life, getting sick of this and that. If you are able to  understand the stage of life your parents are living, it will be easier to understand their episodes of frustration, bad mood or the urgent need for help.

Permanent contact

Maybe they don’t need to see you every day, but they might feel more comforted if they can do it constantly. Keeping in touch with them will give you more security; they will know that, if they need it, they can ask for your help.

Knowing that they remain an important part of your children ‘s lives  also  helps with mental health. Today’s world helps with new technology; making use of e-mails, cell phones and sibling social networks, there will be no excuses for not coordinating parental care responsibilities.

economic aid

If your parents have a pension, your economic situation may be resolved – at least part of it. But  if your parents’ monthly salary is not enough, it can cause them  stress  and depression, among other health problems.

Whenever possible, offer them an amount to help with their expenses and payment for some of the services they need. If you have siblings, the ideal is that you share the expenses among yourselves.

Safe house

Another way to help your parents to live a better old age is to ensure them  a house in good condition and adapted to their needs.  For example, you might need to avoid stairs, or have a firmer, non-slippery floor, among other things to take into account.

In conclusion, it is obvious that  the most important thing is for your parents to feel loved and accompanied by their loved ones.  But beyond that, it is also essential that they can feel safe at home, that they remain active, as much as possible, without economic problems and cheerful.

These aspects, without a shadow of a doubt, will help them to live a much more satisfying old age. Thus,  we will be helping them to be happy during this very special stage of their lives. Besides, what’s that compared to everything they’ve done for us?

Image credits: Aletia