Home care for your ageing parents
One of Filipino culture’s most defining traits is family. Our culture is all about putting family first in all aspects of our life; it’s about loving and respecting our family, especially our parents and grandparents. This is why most of us take it upon ourselves to bring our ageing parents into our homes and taking care of them, as we view it as simply giving back the care that they provided us when we were young.
However, taking care of the elderly is no walk in the park. In fact, it might be one of the toughest and most stressful jobs you’ll ever take on. Plus, everything in this day and age is fast-paced and always on the move, and we are so often swept up by our work or relationships that we don’t have time for anything else. That’s another obstacle we’ll have to face when taking care of our ageing parents.
With that, here are five tips on how to prioritize and best take care of our ageing parents at home:
01 “Parent-proof” your home.
Before bringing your elderly parents into your home, you want to make sure it is as safe and comfortable as possible. That could mean replacing the bedframe in their designated room with a lower one and equipping the side table with anything they would need. It could also mean sticking a non-slip bath mat in their bathroom for when they shower or installing railings for them to hold onto. Changes like these will make a world of difference for your elderly parents when they move in.
02 Be realistic about what you can and can’t provide.
Understand how much care your ageing parents really need: do they need constant supervision? Can they move around on their own or will they need assistance? Do they get sick frequently? Make a list of all these things and objectively decide what it is you can or can’t provide. Remember, because they are your parents you might feel the need to pour everything – from your resources to your health – into their care, but you need to consider your own needs as well.
03 Consider hiring a professional caregiver.
If your elderly parents require constant supervision and assistance, you might want to consider hiring a professional caregiver or private nurse. You can’t be at home 24/7, and even if you are, you still need to focus on other things too. A good way to divide the workload is to get a professional caregiver or private nurse. It will be much safer this way as well as they are trained to handle situations that you might not be able to handle on your own -- such as emergencies or sicknesses.
04 Maintain frequent contact.
Check up on your elderly parents while you’re at work, remind them of the dinner plans you have for this evening, or simply chat with them for a while about what you’re doing. Do this especially if you only see your parents before and after work, as staying at home the whole day – even with a professional caregiver or private nurse – can be incredibly mind-numbing. This boredom can even lead to depression and any form of contact from you can lessen this risk.
05 Encourage your parents to socialize.
Encourage them to meet up with their friends from their previous place of work or even from college or high school. Inform them of senior social gatherings or classes they can join. Socializing is key to avoiding loneliness and feelings of abandonment, and keeping in touch with old friends or making news ones may instantly lift your elderly parents’ spirits. If you’re worried about their wellbeing, accompany them yourself or have your professional caregiver or private nurse do so when you’re not available.