Senior Family Member: People often say that getting old is a privilege only those lucky enough to live a long life can enjoy. But getting older also comes with some problems, like the inevitable loss of physical strength and health problems that come with getting older.
So, older people might need a little extra help with daily tasks that they wouldn’t have thought about when they were younger. You might have a parent or grandparent who is getting older but still seems young and vital to you. As they get older, they could require a little extra help. Half the battle is done when you know how you can help. Here are seven things you can do to help an older family member.
Help with errands and shopping
Seniors often have trouble moving around because of long-term conditions like arthritis or just general wear and tear on the body. This could make it harder to do housework and go to the grocery store once a week.
You can help an older person by doing complex tasks like vacuuming and yard work. Your relative will be happy to have help around the house, but they can still be independent by washing dishes on their own. You can also do their every week go shopping for them, or if it’s easier, you can arrange a grocery delivery online.
Install aids to mobility in their home
You and your position in relation might want to buy mobility aids for their home to help them move around even more. If your relative’s house has more than one floor and they have trouble getting up and down the stairs or are at risk of falling, they need a stairlift.
Many stairlifts are made to order so they can be used on even the most difficult stairs. You can also find bathroom equipment, like walk-in bathtubs and handrails, so your loved one can keep bathing on their own, with pride, and without slipping on wet floors.
Walking aids like walking sticks, Zimmer frames, and mobility scooters can help keep people from falling, giving them more freedom outside their homes. With these pieces of gear, your loved one will feel more comfortable going out and enjoying life.
Look into the options for senior living
Even if your relative has mobility aids, there may come a time when their home is no longer the best place for them to live. Or, they may want more friends and a sense of community to avoid feeling lonely from living alone.
In retirement villages, assisted living facilities to give seniors the best of independence and extra help. A full schedule of social activities is planned to help the residents feel like they are part of a community and ensure they have full, rewarding days.
Go with your relative to their hospital appointments
Due to general wear and tear and maintenance problems, a body no longer young will need more medical care and visits to the hospital as it ages. Visits to the hospital for appointments and medical procedures can be lonely and scary, so your relative will be glad to have you there to keep them company and give them moral support.
You can also act as a kind of advocate for your family member by ensuring they know everything they need about their condition or procedure and that they understand any medical jargon.
Read Also: Secret Ways to Show Your Love
Help your relative with legal and money matters
If your friend or family member is a widow or widower, it’s possible that they now have to do things that their late partner used to do, like pay bills and fill out legal paperwork. This job can be challenging for people who aren’t used to it, and if bills aren’t paid on time, it could lead to money problems.
You can help by helping a family member pay bills and filing legal paperwork. You and your family member might also want to make a living will. Even though this might be hard to talk about at first, a living will can give explicit instructions for family members to follow if your loved one cannot speak for themselves.
Create a book of memories
Memory books are scrapbooks with pictures that tell the story of a person’s life, from childhood to old age, and all the important things that happened. They are accommodating for people with dementia because they help jog the memory and bring essential items to mind. They can also help caregivers who aren’t related to the patient talk to them and get to know them.
But everyone, not just people with dementia, can benefit significantly from memory books. For example, you could have the kids help you talk to their grandparents and have fun picking out pictures from the family albums. A memory book will give you and your family a valuable record of a much-loved family member and help keep their memory alive forever.
Spend time with your family
As people get older, they run the risk of being alone. This could be because they are sick and can’t leave the house or because their close friends and spouses have died. But being lonely and isolated is a considerable risk for older people and could affect their mental health in the long run.
Spend time with an elderly relative by stopping by for coffee and a chat or by inviting them to your house once or twice a week for dinner with your family. If you can’t visit in person, you could also talk on the phone a few times a week. Your relative will enjoy being with you and feel like a highly prized family member. You will also make memories that will last for years.
