Taking care of elderly parents is something you do with love, but it does get stressful at times. It’s only natural when you’re trying to take care of your parents, their home, and then run your own home and take care of your own family at the same time. While predictive analytics in healthcare is making great strides when it comes to helping seniors age safely, it’s still hard on the children that are taking care of them. However, there are a few things you can do for yourself to ease the burden and change your mindset.
Take Some Time for Yourself
While it’s important for you to be available to your aging parents whenever they need you, it’s also important for you to take some time for yourself as well. If at all possible, make arrangements for a caregiver through an agency or with a trusted family member to stay with your parents while you take a few days, or even just a weekend, to do things with your immediate family. From camping in the wilderness to purchasing everyone in the family an ISUP inflatable paddle board and taking to the water, having some time to destress for yourself and enjoy time with your immediate family is extremely important for not only your health and happiness, but your aging parents as well.
Take Advantage of Modern Gadgets
From cellphones that are easy to use to med alert bracelets and wearable devices, there are many modern gadgets to help your parents to age in place. While it may seem like cheating to some to have your parents use these devices for things that you feel you should be doing for them, it isn’t. These gadgets were invented to help your parents age in place and to keep you from getting overwhelmed to the point that you aren’t doing them any good to begin with.
Never Forget, You’re Still the Kid
It’s extremely hard to take the fact that the people who took such good care of you, now need you to take care of them. Also, when it gets to the point that they can’t make decisions for themselves, it’s really easy to try to take over. As your roles change, it’s important to remind yourself constantly that you’re still the kid and your parents are still your parents. This helps not only with your stress levels, but it also helps your parents age with dignity and the knowledge that you respect that they are still the people who raised you to be the amazing person that you are today.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
While it feels like you need to do everything yourself, it’s important to realize there is no shame in asking for help with your parents. You have a lot on your plate, so it’s important to ask for the help you need, when you need it.
Conclusion
These are just a few steps you can take to ease the burden. Remember, all your parents want is your love, patience, and understanding. They don’t expect you to over-stress and hurt yourself while taking care of them at all.