Most people believe that everyone is happy during the holiday season, but that's certainly not the case. Many elderly parents feel sad and lonely during this holiday time of year as the aging process often brings issues that are hard to cope with, such as the possible need for elder care and assistance. These issues could be emotional or social.
Perhaps your parents have lost some close friends, or maybe they had to leave the neighborhood, which left them feeling isolated without friends. There are some ways that you can help you parents deal with their issues of loneliness that will cheer them up.
Listen to Them and Be Patient: It's important to listen. Your parents want to talk – even if there are negative aspects of the conversation. Your parents may be mourning something. Don't get upset and say that they're whining. You need to show empathy in this situation. Encourage your parents when they feel useless and burdensome. Always remind your parents that they're cherished and loved. Simplify the holidays, so that the most important part of them is spending time with loved ones.
Start Monitoring Their Diet: As you prepare for the New Year with your parents, you need to take into consideration that they're getting a balanced diet. Make sure your parents have good eating habits. It's important to avoid foods that cause digestion related issues and those that aren't their healthy heart. Learn about the necessary nutritional needs of seniors, so that your parents can stay healthy.
Ensure Timely Medication and Regular Check-ups: Make sure you're getting the necessary medicine for your parents and ensure that they're taking the right flu shots, vitamins, and other vaccines.
Spend Time with Them: To help with potential memory loss, have your parents look through your family photos. That way, your parents can stay up to date on family information, such as important events in your children's lives.
Bonding with Grand-Children: Let your kids spend a good amount of time with the grandparents and bond well. This will surely put smiles on your parents' face.
Some more promises that you can make in the New Year, as part of caring for your aging parents in 2018 can include:
Use Technology for Time Management: You can seek the help of innovative technologies that include some software targeted at managing your time while caring for your senior parents. These apps are easily accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers and are used to organize folders, contacts, and medications and can be readily synced for multiple users.
Organize Your Loved One's Documents: Use 2018 as a good chance at getting your parent's essential documents including living wills, marriage certificates, and so on in proper order. As the documents may be useful at some point in the future, you'll be relieved in knowing that you have correctly organized these essential documents.
Engage Seniors in Community Activities: Plan for an exciting visit to community activities such as an interesting event, or a get-together meal. These visits are enjoyable and will give your parents a chance to occupy their time doing things that they love. Your parents can get better community experience once they get into a senior living community if the need arises.
Have Healthy Discussions About Future: It can be hard for both you and your senior parents to have discussions on topics like planning for long-term-care etc. Many people avoid such discussions because the matter can be awkward and emotionally traumatic. Make it a priority to get over the awkwardness and begin these difficult conversations with your senior parents.
Remember, the most important thing is to just spend time with your parents and love them unconditionally, just like they loved you always. In their aging stage, they might need elder care and physical assistance and you should always be ready to take care of them in the best possible way.
