There will come a time in our lives when we have to begin caring for those who once cared for us. While this can be incredibly rewarding and a chance to spend meaningful time with a loved one, it also puts a lot of pressure on your shoulders, especially as their needs become a little more complex.
Photo by Tiago Muraro on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you may find useful when caring for an ageing loved one.
Respect their wishes. Many elderly people feel as though their voices go unheard or ignored later in life, even when it comes to decisions relating to their health and housing. For example, while many would like to age in place, this decision to move into a full-time care facility is often made on their behalf.
As such, now is the perfect time to have a conversation with your loved one. This way, you can respect their wishes moving forward while ensuring that their best interests are protected. For example, it could be that, instead of looking into residential facilities, you explore other options, such as home health care solutions. This way, they can access the support they need from the comfort of their own homes!
Encourage them to stay active. Encouraging your loved one to remain as active or mobile as possible is key to enhancing their well-being. This is because it can allow them to remain as independent and agile as possible while also helping to prevent sickness and injury. While it may not be feasible for them to move in the way they once did, this does not mean they have to sit on the sofa all day. For example, there are plenty of exercise classes out there that are designed specifically for seniors.
Pick up the phone. Between work, childcare and other responsibilities, you may not be able to spend time with your loved one every single day. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t reach out, either. With over ¼ of those aged 75 and above going days without speaking to someone, you’d be surprised about just how much a quick phone call can lift their spirits.
Help them to take care of their health. As mentioned above, our healthcare needs tend to become more complex as we get older. As such, they also become more difficult to manage independently, especially if they have to take medication multiple times a day. This, therefore, is something that you should aim to help your loved one through – whether this means you remind them to take their medication on schedule or accompany them to any appointments.
You may also want to do some research into any conditions they may have been diagnosed with, though be sure to source this from reputable sources. This will provide you with more insight into what they are dealing with so that you can put suitable provisions in place to support them. This could also give you much greater peace of mind moving forward.