Karla News

Dealing with Senior Citizens: How to Help Elderly Parents Without Offending Them

Elderly Parents

We adult children can help our elderly parents without offending them, but it requires sensitivity and a lot of tact.

My parents are in their late seventies. They’ve worked hard all their lives and, even though they still live in their own home, they are starting to slow down a little, and are beginning to need our help with a few things.

The most important thing to remember is to treat our elderly parents with the same love and respect we had for them when we were growing up. The second thing we need to do is put ourselves in their place. We’ll be their age ourselves someday. How will we want to be treated?

We must not “boss” our parents around. We must be careful to allow them to retain as much independence as they can. Understandably, most people don’t want to wind up in a nursing home. If our elderly parents are able to remain in their own homes with just a little help from us, life will remain more enjoyable.

It’s important to listen to our parents and try to pick up on ways we might help them without offending them. Remember, too, that our parents’ pride may not allow them to feel comfortable asking us for help.

At first, it is a little strange doing things for our parents that they’ve always done for themselves, but it doesn’t take long to get used to it, and helping them with little things around the house is a great way to spend time together.

Here are just a few ways that we might help our elderly parents: AROUND THE HOUSE

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Make sure their trashcans and recyclables are at the curb for trash pickup day.

Make sure that their steps, porches, decks, and walkways are clear and salted during the winter, especially after big storms. If your parents feed the birds, make sure the path to the bird feeders is shoveled so that they can get out to them safely.

Ask if there are any larger cleaning projects that we might do, such as: clean windows, clean and reorganize cupboards, flip mattresses, wash and re-hang curtains or drapes, wash walls, etc. OUT AND ABOUT

Offer to grocery shop for them, especially if the weather is bad.

Offer to take their car for servicing, or do any of the little “shade tree mechanic” kinds of tasks that could be done in their driveway, such as changing the oil, keeping the fluids filled.

Accompany them to doctors’ appointments if they would feel more comfortable, or are unable to drive themselves.

Pick up prescriptions for them.

Take them for a Sunday drive, or for a meal out, or for some shopping, if they are up to it.

There are many more ways that we can help our elderly parents. All it takes is being in regular contact with them, and having a willing heart.

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