Looking After Your Older Relatives

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The pandemic has been especially difficult for older people who were perhaps already struggling with isolation and daily activities. That’s why they have needed extra support in the last year and a half such as online deliveries and supportive phone calls. As the pandemic comes to an end there’s no reason why the extra levels of support should too. Whether your older relative has a long term condition or simply lives on their own, here are some ways you can offer them extra support if you’re looking after your older relatives.

Pick up the phone 

It can be a long day when you’re older and living alone, you don’t necessarily have a focus or anything to do, that’s why it is most important that you pick up the phone and call your older relative regularly. 

Some people are reluctant to do this because it can make for a difficult conversation, you might feel like you don’t have much to talk about. But even if the conversation is short it means a lot. You can talk about a recent TV show, the garden or walks you went on. 

Create a helpline list 

You won’t always be on hand to help your older relatives with whatever they need, you probably have a job to do and a family of your own to care for, so create a list of helpful phone numbers for them and leave it in a convenient place. 

Your helpline phone numbers will contain contacts for medical emergencies, friendship and advice, local services, and daycare centres. You might also want to put numbers for taxi companies and delivery services on there. 

Hire a live-in carer 

You can’t always be around to support your older relatives every minute of every day; still, that is something they might require, especially if they have long term health conditions like dementia or Parkinson’s disease. 

The best solution is to hire a Live-in Care solution. Live-in carers are professionally trained to look after elderly people with medical conditions. They can keep your relatives entertained and supported physically and emotionally. 

Encourage physical activity 

Your older relative might not be the most physically active person anymore, they might also be reluctant to engage with physical activity at all. But even some light movement and exercise can make a significant difference. 

Older people tend to get into a routine of sitting in their favourite chair, keeping comfortable and not moving very often, but it’s still important to make some physical efforts. Encourage them to go to the garden for the afternoon or buy them an exercise machine they can use from their chair.

Help with shopping 

While it’s easy for us folk to organise online food shopping, many older relatives don’t think of it as very convenient. They have their established ways of doing things but they also can’t use computers and the Internet very easily. 

If you want to support your older relatives this summer why not volunteer to organise their food shopping online. It doesn’t take much effort from you but it means they don’t have to leave the house to get everything they need for the week.

Are you Looking After Your Older Relatives?