What To Do When Your Parents Start Becoming Forgetful
*This post may contain affiliate links* or products that have been sent to me for review. You can find out more in my Privacy and Cookie Policy*
This is a collaborative post
Growing older absolutely sucks. You end up fighting a constant war with your body, and there are so many different problems to deal with. But, today’s post isn’t about you. Instead, it’s about your elderly parents and how they fare as they get older. As a parent yourself, you now understand everything they went through in raising their kids. They looked after you when you needed help, so it’s only right you return the favour as they age.
Forgetfulness, or memory loss, is highly common in the older population. It’s something that the majority of us will experience in our latter years. Still, it’s something to be concerned with as memory loss could be a sign of problems like dementia. So, what should you do when your parents start becoming forgetful?
Stay patient with them
Firstly, you have to keep your patience with a forgetful parent. I know it can be incredibly frustrating when someone keeps forgetting things all the time. You ask them for something, then they turn up at your house without it. Trust me when I say it frustrates them more than it frustrates you. Nobody tries to be forgetful, so keep that in mind. The worst thing to do is to shout at them or be visibly annoyed. Be patient, understand that this isn’t their fault, and you will stop them from feeling bad.
Write things down and repeat
It’s a good idea to write things down if your parents are suffering from memory loss. If you have important information or requests, write them on a piece of paper. This way, they have something to look at to jog their memory. It’s also helpful if you repeat yourself after already saying what you said. Call them later in the day or the next day to remind them of what you told them. Again, this jogs their memory and gets their brain moving. The writing things down idea is definitely the best as it stops them from forgetting a lot of stuff.
Consider moving them to a care home
Now, this final point is more for anyone with very bad forgetfulness. If your parents just forget a few things here and there, it’s not necessary to think about a care home. However, if they forget everything and it’s hampering their life, they might need extra help. As you can see here, https://eastleighcarehomes.co.uk/locations/care-homes-north-devon/, many care homes provide dementia care for the elderly. This means your parents will be in the hands of people who know how to deal with memory loss. It can improve their quality of life and keep your parents safe. If you leave them home alone, they might forget to take important medication or do other things that put them at risk. It’s a massive decision, so think through it deeply before you decide to take this step.
This topic isn’t very enjoyable to write or think about! Nevertheless, it’s something we need to discuss as it will inevitably happen to everyone. If your parents start becoming forgetful, keep these three tips in mind to know how to handle the situation.
One Comment
Pingback: