Tips for Taking Care of Elderly Parents
#1: Learn About Your Parent’s Needs
Before you’re able to care for your parent, you’ll need to know his/her needs. Ask medical professionals he/she has seen recently for recommendations, and always discuss your parent’s needs and wants with him/her. Your parent should always be involved in the decision making process.
#2: Assess Your Situation
You may have a spouse and children, which could make tending to the needs of your parent difficult. Consider the time you spend with your family and how much you have available to take care of your mother or father. Being realistic will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.
#3: Decide What You Can Do
Once you know how much time you have to devote to your parent, you can decide on the needs you can fulfill. This may be transporting your parent to medical appointments, helping with groceries, etc.
#4: Find Services for Other Needs
For the needs you can’t fulfill, search for services in your community that can help. Usually, social services, senior centers, and other organizations specializing in senior care will have services available for support.
#5: Listen and Help
Many senior citizens start to feel lonely because their loved ones don’t pay much attention to them, and then when they do speak, they don’t genuinely listen to their needs and wants. Take some time each week (at least) to sit down and ask how he/she is and if there is anything else that’s needed. It may take a few minutes out of your day, but this is one of the needs that senior citizens benefit from and thrive on during this stage of life.
If you’re unable to provide that time to listen to your parent because of other responsibilities, consider using the services of a personal consultant. Kendall Van Blarcom works with the elderly population to help fulfill the need of a human connection in which seniors can express themselves to someone who is actively listening.
Support for Caregivers
As you’re taking care of elderly parents, know that you have needs that must be fulfilled as well. You need to feel as though you’re understood. You have many feelings and thoughts running through you right now, and some of them, you may not even understand yourself. When you consult with someone like Kendall, you get that relief you’re so desperately looking for from other people.
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