Are your parents starting to show the signs of aging? If your mother and father are now struggling with day-to-day tasks that they previously performed without any fuss or hassle, you need to step in and provide them with a helping hand. They showered you with love, care, and guidance throughout your formative years, and now it’s time for you to repay the favor.

To find three things you must do to make life easier for your aging parents, be sure to read on.

Do their shopping for them

Shopping can put an incredible physical and mental strain on seniors who suffer from mobility issues. If you want to alleviate these pressures for your parents, simply take it upon yourself to go shopping on their behalf.

Should you decide to take on the challenge of shopping for your aging parents, be sure to optimize this simple yet important task by prioritizing the items that your parents ask you to purchase, but be sure to slip a few nutritious meals into their shopping basket. You should try to purchase family-sized portions to ensure that your parents don’t run out of food in between your shopping visits. Then, when helping them to put the food away, indicate which food items have shorter use-by dates by sticking colored stickers to them.

Make changes to their home

If your parents remain steadfast in their desire to remain in their own home for as long as they possibly can, don’t attempt to argue with them. Even if their mobility dwindles, you should grant your mother and father the right to live where they want — if nothing else, it’ll make everybody’s life a whole lot easier simply because there won’t be any arguments!

Allowing your parents to remain in their home will help them to retain a sense of independence in their twilight years, which in turn will be sure to keep their morale levels high. Yielding to your parent’s wished in this instance does not, however, mean that you should just let them get on with their lives. Their inability to move about freely will make even the simplest of everyday tasks difficult to undertake, which is why you must attempt to make their humble abode a whole lot safer.

There are a number of changes that you can make to your parents’ property to ensure that it is safe and easy for them to carry on living in, some of which include:

Remove fall hazards

1. Remove throw rugs
2. Clean up piles of clutter
3. Discard, donate or upcycle unwanted furniture
4. Set up an open floor plan (especially if one of your parents uses a wheelchair)
5. Make sure wires and extension cords aren’t stretched out across the floor
6. Purchase non-slip footwear for your parents to wear in the house

Ensure that emergency numbers remain at hand

1. 911
2. Family members and friends
3. Local caregiving service
4. Healthcare provider

Protect against fire

1. Check the smoke detector batteries on a regular basis and change them if needs be
2. Replace wires and cords that look frayed
3. Remove candles from the home
4. Remind your parents to turn off their space heater (or discourage them from using one)

Safeguard the bathroom

1. Install grab bars in the shower and near the toilet
2. Set the water heater thermostat to a safe temperature (120°F should prevent burns)
3. Place rubber mats down in the bathtub
4. Invest in a bathing chair that can be placed in both the tub and the shower
5. Fit a hand-held shower head
6. Replace the toilet seat with a raised seat that comes with handlebars
7. If your parents suffer from dementia, remove the mirror (seeing their face could startle them)
8. Have a nightlight fitted

Get rid of dangers in the bedroom

1. Replace their mattress if it’s sagging
2. Install a telescoping grab bar near the bed
3. Get rid of the bedroom doorknob and fit a single-lever instead

Optimize the lighting

1. Install motion detection lighting
2. Opt for cooler lights as they provide aging eyes with enhanced clarity
3. Light up the areas in which your parents spend a lot of time (e.g., the dining table)

Improve the safety of the kitchen

1. Make sure kitchen items are accessible and not stored in hard-to-reach places
2. If reaching is required for certain items, make sure a step stool is at hand
3. Fit the water faucets with rubberized grips
4. Clean out the refrigerator on a regular basis

Find them a senior living option

If, after putting the advice laid out above into practice, it becomes painfully obvious that your parents are no longer capable of living safely in their own home, you should do them a serious favor by finding them a senior living option. They might not thank you initially for taking this course of action, but they’ll be sure to appreciate your efforts in the long run. Quite simply, if helping your parents to move into a senior living community is going to make their lives easier and safer going forward, you should have no qualms in performing this all-important task.

Should your parents require a little bit of convincing to make this move, simply show them all of the wonderful residential options provided by Frontier Senior Living. There are a few of the benefits that your parents will be sure to reap once they relocate to an FSL senior living community. Not only will they have the ability to remain close to you and their other loved ones (there are over 120 communities spread out across the country that your parents can move into), but they have the capacity to choose a lifestyle that suits their residential and healthcare needs.

In addition, they will have access to up-to-date healthcare procedures (which includes being at the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine). Plus, assisted living aids them without stifling them (your parents will actively be encouraged to retain their.

How Would You Inspire Your Aging Parents?

After a thorough search, I have gathered some ways to encourage your aging parents. Below, I will discuss multiple ways to keep your parents inspired. 

1) On your Next Visit, Just Take a Walk

One of the most significant ways to keep your parents inspired is by just taking a walk. In this case, you can walk around the neighborhood. This is one of the most beautiful ways to exercise and breathe fresh air. Above all, this will alleviate the sense of even a cabin forever. 

2) Find the Senior Exercise Program in the Area

Recently, there have been several park districts and senior centers that offer exercise groups tailored to older adults. In this case, you should find one and will encourage your aging parents to attend. These are not only for attending physical activity, but they will also foster friendships. 

3) Teach Your Loved One How to Arrange the Video Call

You should thank cell phones or free applications recently, especially for your aging loved one. In this way, you can help your parents chat with new friends and family in real-time. Above all, you should take time to teach your loved one to use this technology. Also, you must schedule times to chat with someone your parents are interested in. 

4) Find the Adaptations

If you are trying to find a hobby, ensure you have also sorted out a list where you can list your parents’ hobbies. In this case, you should take time to teach your loved one to use the technology. Furthermore, you also have to set up times to chat with one another. 

In Conclusion

In this article, I have discussed what you can do to make life easier for your aging parents. After all, it would help if you always encouraged your parents to stay active and connected after retirement. Furthermore, you must think about several resources and professionals that would make your parents’ professional lives happier. 

I hope you liked this article. If you have queries, then please comment below!

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