They took care of you, fed you, and sent you to school. But what can you do when they cannot take care of themselves anymore?

I when I was a child I thought that my parents would live forever. They were there when you took your first steps, sent you off to college, see you married and have children of your own. But looking at them now, they were just a shadow of robust individual you took shelter to when you are younger. Then you have to realize that it is your time to do the caring. The role had been switched, this time you are the one to provide the shelter.

It is a difficult task, for sure, but with the right mindset and enough preparation you will be able to provide the care needed by your elderly parents.

Open Communication
In general, it is very difficult for parents to talk about getting old and becoming dependent. Some find it hard to talk about their aging because they realize that they are getting helpless and useless. We have to remember that they are the one who were in control of us when were growing up, so it hard for them to acknowledge that now, you are the one taking care of them.
Establish a communication line with your parent. Have some “bonding” moment with them, for example, once a week you sit down on a meal together or go to church with them. It doesn’t have to be expensive. The important thing is you get to be closer to your parents, and that will make it easier for you to talk to them about their aging, and easier for them to accept it.

Ask for their input
Becoming useless and worthless is the most feared part of being elderly. Ask for their opinion on some decisions you have to make, it could be an opinion to some trivial decision or to an important decision to make. This will make them feel needed and useful.

Keep In Touch
The best way to make sure your parents are aging well is to be around. But if they are not living with you, keep in touch by calling or visiting them on weekends. Ask your parents if you can accompany them to doctors’ visits to keep you updated with their current condition.

Pay Attention
No matter what your parents say, you should always be on the lookout for the subtle signs that tell that they needed help. There are lots of signs to watch for. Social isolation is one of them. If your elderly parent refuses to leave the house and doesn’t socialize anymore, this is an alarm symptom. This could lead to a depression, or maybe has an illness that hasn’t been diagnosed. You should also pay close attention to their sleeping and eating patterns, mood changes, manners of doing their daily chores and memory loss.