Being a parent is one of the hardest things that you can do, and most of the people reading this now will probably be a parent themselves. We know that it fills you with absolute joy to be a parent, but you know how hard it is to keep your head cool. You have all of this stress and pressure in life, and then you have some little humans to look after as well. Your parents would have felt the exact same when going through it all with you. They will have done everything you’re having to do right now, and possibly even more. So when it comes to a time when you know they’re getting on a bit, you then realize that you’re quickly becoming the parent to your parents. You have to ring them every day to make sure they’re ok, you’re worried about them falling, or about them having some sort of illness that their elderly bodies can’t fight off. We know this is a sensitive subject, but it’s a situation that millions of people around the world are having to deal with. So, if you keep on reading, we’ll show you what to do when you think you’ve become a parent to your parents.
When They Can’t Live Alone Anymore
If your parents can’t live alone anymore, then we know the thoughts that will be going through your mind. It often gets to this point when one parent has sadly passed away, leaving the other to live alone. You can literally watch how much their life has declined because often they will have spent their life with their parent since they were very young. Sometimes the only solution is to put them into a care home, but we know many people reading this will be very against it. You can’t trust care homes, and some of the worst nursing homes have been publicized for treating their residents so poorly. However, there are also some excellent places to go and live, such as retirement villages. It’s a step down from a nursing home, although the support will still be there for them.
If Their Health Is Getting Worse
There’s nothing worse than watching the health of your parents get worse, but it is something that’s going to come around whether we like it or not. All you can do is make sure you put the right care support in, and you’re forcing them to have it. We know that s many elderly parents are stubborn with the support they accept because they find that it loses their independence. But if their health is at risk, it has to be done. Try and visit as much as you can, and make sure they’re living a healthy lifestyle as much as possible. There will be medications to control conditions!
Keeping Their Independence As Much As Possible
Finally, keeping their independence is super important, even if that means you have to take them out somewhere. It could just be to the shops to get their shopping, or round to a friend’s house. Just because they can’t get out of the house as easy, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to get out at all!