As your parents get older, you slip into a caring position for them even when you do not intend to. You may start off by going to their house to cook dinner, or taking them shopping for easy to cook things. For some, it may get more challenging than that as their parents’ physical and cognitive abilities begin to decline. This is not easy for your parents to deal with, but you can still help them to maintain their independence as much as possible.
With the invention of advanced hearing aid and wearable tech integration, people who live with hearing issues can now feel more empowered and independent. There are even some hearing aids that will allow you to answer the phone wirelessly – and that is a new thing that makes all the difference if someone is out for a walk. If you can offer your parents the right support, you can ensure that they are happy, healthy and able to be as independent as possible no matter what. Here are some of the ways that you can help.
- Focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot. If your parents are losing their hearing, it can be difficult for them. However, if you focus on the new technologies available, the new support available from audiology teams and what they can hear, you can bet that it will help them to maintain their independence. Too often, we feel negative about getting older but it does not have to be that way.
- Give them purpose. Elderly parents who are retiring often lose sight of what matters most. Helping them to find purpose is vital for their continued excitement about life. Mentoring and supporting them involves showing them what they can do and helping them to be sociable. Community programs, group walks and time spent with friends with the right support will help.
- Optimize their space. Are your parents still living at home? Implementing the right technology and support will help them to stay at home as long as possible. The built environment around them has to be safe while being conducive to their mental and physical state. You want to minimise the risk of broken hips and damaged hearts by adding rails to help them to walk, technology to help them to hear properly at home and you can also add technology like smart speakers or voice activated thermostats.
- Offer help as they need it and not before. Instead of jumping in to take tasks off their hands, only offer help to your parents as they need it so that you do not take over and take away their independence. It will not be something you do on purpose, but it is something you must be mindful of.
- Always offer a choice. People will lose their autonomy when there is no choice in what they do. If you want your parents to maintain independence and autonomy, always offer a choice in everything you assist them with. They will be thankful for it for sure.
