As a parent, you go up and above the call of duty for your child and their needs. Sleepless nights, budget cuts and frequent visits to places you’d rather not go to. All in the name of love for your child. But when the time comes to repeat the same for your parents some feel irritated and some ignorant. While it’s difficult to care for elders as some are stubborn and proud even, it is our duty and responsibility to care for them. But how do we care for elderly parents? Here are few ways in which we can care for them.

Finances, social connections, health and cleanliness are some of the issues we should worry about for our parents no matter how busy we are.

• Maintain Frequent Contact- Be there for your parents

Many family members don’t live close to their elderly parents. Being alone, seniors become bored, restless and sometimes depressed. Find a way to stay connected to them. Phone calls, visits, even Skype calls to involve them in your daily life and excite them and make them feel important and cherished.

You can call your parents in the morning when going to work. You might even decide to call them after work hours. You should even do more if any of them has lost a significant other. Losing a significant other means there is a greater risk of depression.

• Encourage Your Parents to Visit Family Gatherings as well as Community Social Gatherings

The Nepali community is immense. We have various festivals and occasions to get together for merriment and even sad times. Elders provide exposure of culture and tradition for the newer generation. While the younger ones learn, the elders impart wisdom and get to feel as the pillars of society.

There are likely to be older people social gatherings and resources in the community they live. You can encourage them to join these social events.

This can help reduce the worry of your parent’s well-being. It will also provide them with the social connections they need to think less about their current situation. Getting to know new people can turn a shy old person into a lively senior.

• Get extra care-giving help

A good way to reduce the workload and reduce stress is to get some extra help. Of course, this isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish or you would have done it already! What’s important is to keep looking for different ways to save time and get tasks off your to do list. It may take some patience, effort, and creative thinking, but it will be worth it when you’re finally able to take regular breaks.

Ask family members to commit to helping out on a regular schedule. This could be with care-giving or, if they’re not able to handle the personal care, chores, errands, finances, or insurance claims. , Enroll your senior in an adult day program – socialization and care for them, much-needed rest for you, Hire in-home care-giving help.

• Teach Your Parents How to Use Modern Technology
• With the help of technology, you can stay connected with them even when you are very busy.
• They can meet some old friends on any of these social media platforms. More interestingly, they can watch videos online and check people’s posts. There is no limit to what they can do with modern technology.

• Love your health care providers

During this phase of your life, you don’t have better friends than those helping you care for your parent. Cleaning person, social worker, physical therapist, nurse, doctor, caring neighbor — treat well each and every person who plays any role whatsoever in caring for your parent. When they think of your parent, you want everyone involved in their care to have good, positive thoughts; you want them to want to care well for your mom or dad. Steady kindness, and little gifts here and there, can go a long way toward ensuring that’s how they feel.

Here is a checklist of things that you can look in to when you are visiting your parents or elderly.

Physical and mental health

• Have they lost weight or do they seem frailer?
• Do you notice any strange new behaviors like repeating stories or being unusually confused about simple things?
• Are they squinting or tripping over things much more than usual?

Get help or medical assistance when the answer to all is yes.

Getting around

• Are their driving skills the same as before? Do you feel safe when they drive you around?
• Have you heard about any traffic tickets?

If yes, they need help driving around

The kitchen

• Is the refrigerator stocked with fresh foods they normally eat?
• Is there moldy or expired food around?
• Are there burned pots and pans or burn marks on the floors or counters?

If yes, help them with it! Or hire a house help.

Medication

• Are there any new medications, vitamins, or supplements you haven’t seen before?
• Is their medication organized so it’s easy to take the correct dose at the correct time?
• Are expired medications mixed up with current ones?

If yes, restock and visit their physician soon.