Very often, you would
be living away from your parents. No matter how much you wish to provide them
company and care personally, many a times, it would be impossible to attend to
their needs in person. If you can’t be there to take care of things personally,
the next best thing would be to arrange for some Specialized Elder Health Care Services for them. However, it might be stretching
things a bit ahead as your parents are still independent and do not need any
special care. All they might need at this stage could be some financial and
medical assistance.
Under such circumstances,
it would be wise to let your parents be. As long as they are physically fit and
able to care for themselves, you don’t have to worry about them. However, it doesn’t
mean that you can just forget about them.
Here are few pointers
that could help you keep them safe and healthy even when you are not staying
close to them:
Be in touch – No
matter where you are, make it a point to keep the lines of communication open. You
may not only talk to them as often as you can, but also chat or video
conference with them if they are techno savvy. Make sure they know what is
happening in your lives and you know what is happening in their lives. It would
brighten up their days.
Arrange for medical
care – Elderly people might not be keen to go for their annual/periodic
check-ups. Make sure that you have an eye on their medical care and arrange for
service providers to get them to their appointments on time. If
they have trouble getting medicines, order them online and arrange for doorstep
delivery.
Encourage social activities
– It is always a good idea to be engaged with some work – especially something
that one loves. It could be meeting friends, being part of some club,
gardening, farming or any other activity that help them to pass time in
happiness. Encourage them to visit relatives and to host them occasionally if
they are up to it.
Regular visits – You
should visit them regularly. If they are up to it, encourage them to come visit
you. It would give them something to look forward to – a welcome change from
the routine. If you are unable to visit
them, make sure you tell them the reason why it is not possible to visit them.
Always encourage your kids to talk to them.
Have a local guardian
– Although it might sound absurd to have a local guardian for grownups, it is
always a good idea to ensure that you have someone nearby who can be relied
upon in case of an emergency. It could be a friend or a relative, or even a
professional agency. The important thing is to ensure that they will have
him/her at their side if necessary. Make sure that your parents have the
person’s contact number.
Caring for the parents
is a duty that one cannot shy away from – most people are worried about caring
for the parents in their absence. The above-mentioned pointers could help them
in finding a workable solution.
