If you have an aging parent who depends on you but you have a family of your own, it can feel overwhelming at times even though your love them dearly. It is hard to juggle time with everyone. If you have to work or have a packed schedule there just doesn’t seem like there is enough time in a day. The key is to be organized and to schedule time for each person who you would like to spend time with. It is important to spend some one-on-one time, at least once a week, to catch up on how things are going with everyone and so no one feels like they never get a moment with you.
Another wonderful way to share time is to enjoy a meal as a family or to go to the park. If you have children of your own, you know how much your parents love you, and they love their grandchildren just as much. Doing things as a family is a great way to make your parents feel loved as well as part of the family.
As your parent gets older, they may have more difficulty living on their own. They may become more forgetful and have a harder time getting around and doing the things they normally do. They may depend on you more and more too, and you may begin to worry about them when you are not around. You also cannot be there for your parents every second of every day, and when you are not there you worry that they will be alright. If you live far away, it can be even more difficult to care for your aging parent. There is no exact time for when your parent should not be living on their own any longer. Some elderly people live a long time on their own while others have health issues and find it much more difficult. Sometimes it is necessary to take medication throughout the day and paired with memory loss, it can be very difficult to remember to take it and at the right times and this can be hazardous to their health.
Often, people feel guilty for moving their parents into a senior living center because they feel that they ought to be the one to care for their own parents. But with how hectic life can get, and if you have your own family to care for, there simply isn’t enough of you to go around and there isn’t enough time in a day to care for everyone. Not to mention that you will run yourself ragged. A senior living center has many great benefits. They can socialize and have fun activities while being well looked after.
If your parent needs to take medicine, the staff will also make sure that your parent gets it when they need to take it. If anything were to happen, they have a nurse on site 24/7, so they will get immediate medical attention if they ever were to need it. A senior living enter is a great way for your parent to get social interaction with others and there are often fun things planned such as dances and potlucks so they will still have fun. Plus, you can visit anytime or take your parent somewhere to spend more time with the family. It is simply a place where they will have care when you are not able to be there for them. If your loved one lives alone but is quite mobile and can do most everything on their own, it is possible to have a nurse stop by every day or to reside with them. Sometimes elderly parents will live in the home of their children, but this is not always a possibility.
There are also retirement communities, and they are basically living on your own without having to worry about keeping up on all of the maintenance and responsibilities of owning a home. That is why many families will move their elderly parent into a senior center. That way they can be close enough to visit, but they will get the care that they need. This can be a win win situation for everyone.
