It's an honest truth that we will all get old and whilst we are young and are lucky enough to have our health we should ensure that we do all that we can to take care of our elderly loved ones. With the right support around them, they will be much more likely to deal with this period of their life positively and productively. Here are some tips on providing care to your elderly loved one.
1. Make things practically easier As our loved ones get older living with some form of pain often becomes part of their lives. If your loved ones are struggling with limited mobility then start to think about the practical things that might be able to help with this such as stairlifts at home (you can have a look at Age UK Mobility stairlift options), ramps to help them get in and out of their house, grab handles for the bathroom and anywhere else that they may need them and even things like wheelchair accessible vehicles. You could also offer to help collect prescriptions if they require medication but find it difficult to get out and about. 2. Listen and ReminisceThere's nothing quite as good for the soul or our own perspective then recalling memories and reminiscing about old times. It has even been proven to improve health and wellbeing. Not only will you enjoy listening to old stories but you're elderly loved one will enjoy it too.3. Be mindful of lonelinessSadly as we age, so do the people around us and it's a sad fact to say that a lot of elderly people will have lost special loved ones as they've got older. It's so important that we do what we can to ensure that the elderly aren't lonely. A visit and coffee in the garden with a bit of cake can go along way and when it's not possible to do so think about how you can utilise technology such as video calls or even phone calls to help you elderly loved ones stay connected. 4. Be open and honestIt's fantastic if our elderly loved ones can stay independent but that isn't always the case for some. If you feel that they need more support, have open and honest conversations about this. Make sure that they know to ask you if they do require assistance with anything as some people can feel that they 'don't want to bother' others when often people are more than happy to help if they can. So keep the conversation going and reassure them that you are there for them if they need it. 5. Help to get them tech-savvyAs I mentioned above technology can help people stay connected, but it's also great for when you can't get out and about. Teaching our elderly relatives how to shop online, do online banking and order from trustworthy websites like Amazon could make a big difference to their lives by making things easier for them. Be patient though, as, with anything new, it can take people a while to learn how to use things for the first time. And of course, make sure you give out all the best advice for staying safe online especially when it comes to passwords and protecting themselves and their accounts online. I hope that these tips have been helpful. Thank you for reading. Alex xo
In collaboration with Age UK Mobility.