You’re at a point in your life where you feel you’ve accomplished much of what your parents had. You've made a home, you've got a loving family, and a career you really enjoy. You look back at the people who helped you to this point and you notice something. As time has gone on, you’ve grown up and they've grown old. In the latter part of their life, it’s the simple things that matter the most. They are slowing down and they can no longer do everything on their own. It's time to step in and do something about this. You should try to help them enjoy their life, as best as you can.
Doing projects together
Elderly and retired people have a lot of time on their hands. You would think they would be happy about this but speak to them and you’ll see that’s not the case. Going to work, having a job, being useful to someone or something, makes us feel wanted. So when parents are too old to work, they lose a big part of their autonomy and self-worth. Something as simple as working on a project together will boost their morale. It could be painting the house, building a shed, doing a large jigsaw puzzle together or building something like a jungle gym for your kids, would uplift their spirits so much. Fathers especially, need to keep their hands and minds busy, so this is something you should consider.
Cook, eat and laugh
As you well know, grandparents love to cook for their grandchildren. So let’s make things interesting. Pick out a recipe book together with your parents and try to cook every single recipe together. It could be a baking book or a vegetarian dish book. No matter how long it takes, set up a meeting time every week and bring the ingredients to their house. This gives them a healthy meal to eat, but a shared challenge to complete. It's simple, easy and you get to spend time together talking about your childhood.
Being in good hands
If your parents would like to be in someone else’s care, then choosing the right care home is the only option. It's a major leap of faith for anyone to sell their home and begin a new life in a senior home. But you should know, not every care home is the same. According to some sources, these are the worst nursing homes for the abuse of its members. There are different types of abuse some seniors suffer at the hands of their caregivers. Emotional abuse is high up on the list of concerns. It's rare but physical abuse also is a reality that you must be aware of. Financial abuse whereby the elderly person is taken advantage of is also a grave concern. When you go to a care home, don’t take it for face value. Try and speak with people who have their parents in the home to get a true picture of what’s going on.
All your aging parents want when they get older is to not worry about the simple things. Make sure they’re in good hands in their care home and start a project together so they have something to look forward to each day.