Helping Older Parents: Concerns You Must Address
It’s a big responsibility when you’re caring for an older parent. Many challenges come with being the caregiver of someone who is aging. From medical issues to having their lives depend on you, there are a lot of worries and responsibilities that have to be taken care of each day.
However, preparing yourself for these changes beforehand and knowing what to expect before they happen will make this time in your life much easier for you and your loved one. These six common challenges should help give insight into what you can expect when caring for an elderly family member and how best to cope with them. The first step is understanding these six challenges so that you can be better prepared.
Time Management
With both you and your senior family member requiring care, it can be hard to balance the needs of each. An elderly parent might need help with cooking or using the restroom while also needing assistance getting to appointments, shopping for groceries, taking prescriptions, etc. All of these things require time, and when you’re trying to balance caring for them alongside your career and other responsibilities in life, it becomes difficult managing your time.
To combat this problem, try having a schedule to write down everything that needs to be done throughout the day. That way, there’s no confusion between either party regarding what comes first or what has yet to be completed. This will make managing their time much easier because you’ll know exactly how long it will take to complete each task.
Loneliness/Isolation
When an older parent is forced to leave their home and go into a retirement home, they are often very lonely because there’s no familiar faces or places that comfort them anymore. They lose all connection to their friends who have passed away, the neighborhood children grow up, and there are fewer activities for them to do.
Living in a retirement or assisted living facility also has its benefits, though. They provide many free activities for residents ranging from sing-a-longs at lunch to chair yoga classes after dinner. Another way you can combat loneliness is by visiting your loved one as often as possible, whether it be every other day or on the weekend until they’re more comfortable in their new living situation.
Depression
It’s common for elderly parents to experience bouts of depression after moving into a retirement home. They may feel like they’ve lost all control of their life and that they’re no longer helpful. This can often lead to feelings of worthlessness, sadness, and despair. If you notice these symptoms in your loved one, it’s important to get them help from a professional as soon as possible.
Not only is depression harmful to the elderly parent, but it can also be damaging to those who are close to them. So make sure you keep an eye out for any change in mood or behavior so that you can address it immediately.
Fear of Losing Control
Many elderly parents are afraid of losing control over the things around them. After living independently for so many years, they now have to sit back and let others make decisions for them. This can be difficult to adjust to because they’ve always been very independent and relied on themselves for everything—now, all these decisions about necessities like food and medical care fall squarely on their children’s shoulders.
One way you can help your loved one with this fear is by providing regular updates about what’s going on around town, whether it be news from the newspaper or updates from friends and family via email or phone calls. By staying up-to-date on current events, then relaying that information to your loved one, you can give them a sense that they’re still involved in their community and have a say in what goes on around them.
Financial Stress
Many people worry about having enough money to retire and live comfortably for the rest of their life, and often, this financial stress is placed upon their children as well. Your loved one will probably rely on you to pay their living expenses, which could include everything from groceries to prescriptions to medical bills.
If your parent has been saving for retirement for many years, it should be no problem helping with these costs. But if they haven’t been setting any funds aside, then it may take some time before they’ve saved up enough money to cover all their expenses. In the meantime, you may have to help out financially until they’re in a better place.
Medical Issues
It’s common for elderly parents to experience various medical issues as they age. This can range from minor problems like arthritis to more serious conditions such as heart disease or stroke. As their child, you need to be aware of these health concerns and take the necessary steps to prevent them from becoming worse.
This could mean accompanying them on their doctor appointments, doing your own research on the best ways to manage their illness, or even taking care of some of their day-to-day tasks so that they can rest easier. Whatever it takes, make sure you’re there for your parent and helping them every step of the way.
You may not know what it feels like to be an older adult, but many challenges come with this stage in life. Whether you’re caring for a parent on your own or assisting them from afar, these six common challenges of aging parents will help prepare you and make the process easier.
Meta title: Issues to Address When Taking Care of Aging Parents
meta desc: Many challenges come with aging. These common challenges of caring for an older parent can help you prepare and assist them in this challenging time.
