Our Parents are the first teachers that build a strong bridge between us and the world. They provide us with health, security and support. As the years’ pass, we start working on our careers and build a family. We get busy in our lives and careers; we often tend to forget to pay attention to our parents and grandparents in the process.
Old age can be emotionally, physically and financially challenging. It affects almost everyone who has or will have an elder in the family —and everyone who lives long enough and grows old. As responsible people, we should understand the importance of helping our parents and elders through their senior years.
Happiness often lies in the little things of life and not necessarily in the grand gestures. Some care and attention goes a long way, especially when the parents who were proud of being independent are getting older and need looking after.
We feel the below-listed tips can make our parents and seniors feel important and loved:
Be there for them:
Listen to them, pay attention to them while they are talking. Our parents may tend to be repetitive when speaking what’s on their minds; all we need to do is be patient and listen to them to understand.
Be Patient:
As our parents grow old, their ability to perform daily tasks declines due to health issues. Fear of falling – advancing years can affect their balance and make them less steady on their feet. If they take longer to get into the car or take longer to wear their footwear, instead of complaining, try to be patient. [Interlink to the How to prevent ‘Fall’ in the Elderly post]
Medical Check-ups:
Any change in their health and ability to perform routine activities is an alert that they must consult a geriatric specialist. If they need constant care, you can seek in-house geriatric care or take admission at a facility.
Emotional Wellbeing:
We must encourage our children to engage with their grandparents by sharing achievements, playing with them or performing fun activities together. It makes the seniors feel special and helps them stay active. Practices like these also help reduce the chances of loneliness and depression.
Help them understand Technology:
Dependency on Technology for everyday tasks may be overwhelming to them. If they struggle to operate smartphones or smart devices, show them how to handle it without condescending.
Let’s make a special effort for our loved ones:
According to Wikipedia, every 4th Sunday of July is celebrated as Parents Day all across the Globe. It falls on the 25th of July this year. This day signifies “recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children”. This day aims at promoting responsible parenting and recognizing positive parental role models. It celebrates the special bond between Parental figures and children.
Cook Favourite Meal:
Ask them if they want to eat anything special or cook their favourite meal for them. Let their grandchildren prepare a meal, which will make it even more special.
Tell them you love them:
Let us be vocal about how much we love them. Expressing our love for them with a hug will make them happy.
A Handmade gift:
A handmade greeting card from the grandchildren is absolute bliss for the Grandparents. The card need not be perfect; it’s the effort that counts. Anything handmade will work.
Spend time with them:
The most common complaint of older people is that no one spends time with them. We can encourage our parents to tell stories from their childhood or of their lives, the hardship they faced or their triumphs.
We looked up to our parents when we were young, and they were our heroes! Now, it is our turn to be their heroes. The quality of life and quality of care are always priorities for elder care; the above list may be a starting point towards finding balance in our lives and parents.