Parent Care Planning

I grew up knowing that my family was not well-off. Both my mother and father had to work full-time to provide my needs, as well as my siblings’. There were only a couple of times every year when our wish to buy toys would be granted, too: during our birthdays and on Christmas day. And while my classmates would always display their new bags and clothes on the first day of the school year, I would be there in my not-so-new clothes and the same bag that I used last year. Continue reading “Helping Elderly Parents Make A Bucket List”

“As they age, our parents might need more help,” says Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Everyone needs to start making it a top priority to take good care of his or her parents, especially those who are already in their advanced years. Keep in mind that you must see to it that your senior parents receive the best kind of love and care from you. Otherwise, they will end up getting hurt, which can be crucial as they grow old. According to a therapist, the more a parent grows old, the more he becomes needy for love and attention. Because of this, it is every child’s duty, regardless of age, to meet the mentioned needs.

Continue reading “How To Make A Senior Parent Happy”

Psychology suggests it is essential for the total well-being of aging parents that their relationship with their children remains intact as time goes on. Nowadays, it has become a norm that aging elders and parents live with the families of their children. It is the time that grown-ups show back their love to their parents by providing them this time the comfort of life physically, mentally, and emotionally.

“Whether well planned or a sudden emergency, this a challenging task,” according to Suzanne Phillips, Psy.D., ABPP.

The first thing we should keep in mind for taking care of our aging parents is to look around our place of abode. If our parents before busied themselves by turning your home into a child-friendly one, it is your time now to turn your house into an aging-parent-friendly home. “Simple adjustments don’t require a lot of money but can make a big difference”, Bryan Oden says.

While each case is unique, here are some of the basic guidelines that you have to keep in mind in turning your house safe and warm for aging parents:

Install Sufficient Lighting

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The first problem that aging parents encounter involves mobility. They may not be able to see and recognize stuff around the house that much absent any proper lighting. Most of the time, the primary culprit behind accidentally falls, broken bones, cuts, and head injuries is the poor lighting installed in accident-prone areas of our home.

Add more lighting or better yet, install brighter lights on every corner of the house. Give more attention if the bathroom and the kitchen have sufficient lighting because these are areas prone for accidental slips.  

Educate Other Family Members

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It is essential that the other family members can follow about why certain house modifications are happening. It is vital that they know that the safety of your aging parents is one of the utmost priority here, so when confronted with some unforeseeable problem, they know what to do first.

Members of the family should know how to call for help should an emergency occurs. Everyone in the household should know where the emergency hotlines are, who to call for help, and the proper and necessary protocols should a mishap happen inside the house. Each should recognize the signs of health emergency and should have adequate knowledge in giving the appropriate first aid. They should also be able to respond without panicking.

Modify Bathrooms

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Make sure every bathroom in your house is safe for your aging parents. Install proper and brighter lighting, provide non-slip mats, and put grab bars within their reach. Some people opt to put a built-in bench inside the shower to turn it into a step-free entry. Also, check the locks to avoid any possible lock-in incidents.

Consider also how high or low the toilets should be. Low toilets may become a burdensome for them, especially that most of our aging parents have a problem in bending. Keep in mind also where the toiletries are. Don’t put them in high cabinets that would make it hard for them to reach should they need some. Remember that their aging legs and knees make it hard for them to move around, stand up for long, and to tiptoe, especially in slippery places like the bathroom.

Provide Easier Access And Opening

Check your doorknobs and reconsider the sliding doors in your home. It is undeniably hard for the aging parents to open (especially slide-open) and close more massive doors. Take note also springing or self-closing doors that may hit your parents, especially if they have already problems with mobility.

Take an indoor tour of the whole house and check if your stuff arrangement and even the color of the walls are conducive for your aging parents’ relaxation. Repair any cracked furniture and floors. Remove any clutter on the floors. Check if your own children’s toys (balls, bikes, Lego bricks) are tucked correctly in their proper places.

Call Someone To Help

If you still feel that your house is not that safe yet for your aging parents, do not ever be shy to call a professional one to help you in your new home arrangements. You can request any occupational or physical therapists or aging care experts in your area to inspect your house and advise you of what you can do more.

Creating a safe place inside the walls of your home is one of the best things that your aging parent will thank you for forever. More often than not, they may not say this all the time, but the comfort of life starting in the confines of the home is what they always desire. The above tips are not that hard to follow, primarily if we educate the other family members for this endeavor.

“In many instances you will need to contact social services for help determining alternate living and care options for your loved one,” shares Carol Bradley Bursack.

 

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Your aging mom and dad may be struggling a little in doing everything they used to do, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll just let them give up on keeping up with what’s new and maintaining what they still have. Physical and mentalhealth can still improve or be maintained. We as children can still help our loving parents have an awesome quality of life, lengthen their lifespan, and make sure that they have something worthwhile to do – with or without us.

The guidelines of the CDC for physical activity are the constant for all adults, no matter how old. This suggests that being too old to exercise is out of the question. According to Dona Matthews Ph.D., “You can make time for creativity, play, outdoor time, nature exploration, community involvement, the arts, science experiments, or project learning.” Even seniors who’ve been living sedentary lives are encouraged to be physically active so that they can stay fit and healthy. Let us look at some of the activities you can do with your aging parents to keep them maintain their physical and mental health regardless of age.

Low Impact Sports

Basic courses in dancing, golf, and other low to moderate impact sports provide wonderful means of challenging your beloved seniors’ bodies and minds. You can pay for these classes as your birthday or Christmas gift to them. If you have a shy aging parent, this can be your way of encouraging them to get out, get moving, and meet new friends.

Yoga

According to Deborah Khoshaba Psy.D., “Yoga increases body awareness, relieves stress, reduces muscle tension, strain, and inflammation, sharpens attention and concentration, and calms and centers the nervous system.” The gentle stretching, breathing, and balancing techniques in yoga can alleviate joint pain, stiffness, and tension. Yoga can be a great starter activity for sedentary seniors. For parents who are seasoned sports enthusiasts, they can always do yoga for cool down and relaxation. It’s a great cure for stress, and it also relieves minor injuries and mobility problems.

Water Aerobics

This is one of the most suitable physical activities for our aging parents. It burns a lot of calories, stimulates the entire body, and yet doesn’t cause joint pain, unlike jumping rope, running, or other aerobic exercises. If you want, you can join them in their classes. There’s a range of movements from simple, moderate, and competitive. There are gymnasiums or village swimming pools that offer free or discounted rates for seniors. Take advantage of these.

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Arts And Crafts

According to Nicole Pipitone, MAAT, LPC, “Art therapy establishes communication between people and allows a person to find a sense of clarity or understanding that may be difficult to do by using words alone.” Knitting, scrapbooking, and painting are mentally challenging arts and crafts activities that are relatively doable for every adult age level. These will enable your parents to preserve and even improve their fine motor skills, especially when they do a new technique daily. They can do these activities on their own at home or join a club or group in the neighborhood so they can socialize.

Tell your aging parents that you bought them arts and crafts membership cards for them. That would probably motivate them especially if you tell them it wasn’t cheap. When they’ve been joining the club for a few months, ask them to teach you what they learned from it. If they’ve mastered knitting, then let them teach you and the grandkids – make it a family tradition or something. It’ll surely make them proud and flattered. It would also increase their interest in learning new activities.

Outdoor Activities

The outdoors offer loads of vitamins, which aging parents particularly need to prevent bone problems like osteoporosis. Vitamin D is also a weapon against depression and anxiety. However, for seniors who really don’t have the knack for exercise whether it’s outdoor or indoor, here are a few options to make your parents get up from that chair and spend quality time outdoors.

• Most of our aging parents love to tinker in the garden, so invest in things that make this hobby easier for them. You can buy them raised beds that they can take care of while standing.
• Walking and hiking clubs. They’ll love not only the walks but also the talks.
• Short vacation in the woods. If you can spare some extra, pay for a week’s vacation for your parents to stay in a cabin in the woods.

Travel

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Retired life is a great time for your parents to travel if they’re well and able. Exploring other states or other countries can add vigor and strengthen their relationship as a couple, even if they’re already old. After all, building and strengthening bonds doesn’t depend on age. Cruising is also one great adventure for them, especially if they love traveling by boat. The entertainment, the food, and the music will stimulate them.

Final Thoughts

Remember that although your parents are considered seniors, they’re not limited to doing activities only under the ‘senior’ category. Allow them to feel young and let them discover their capabilities. Work with them on some activities. Accommodate your parents’ changing needs and desires. It’s not forever that we get to be with them.