ROLE REVERSAL: WHEN CHILDREN BECOME THEIR PARENTS' CARERS


Our parents are the people who care for us and nurture us the most through our lives. So, once they start to age and become frail, most people struggle to deal with the role reversal that takes place. If your parents are already at a certain age, you will already know too well that they will no longer be the carer in your relationship – you will have taken that role to ensure that they can enjoy a comfortable old age.

For some people, knowing exactly how to care for aging parents is the first struggle that they face. However, if you follow these useful tips, you will be able to adapt to the role of carer a lot easier, and you will be able to greatly improve their lives.

 Encourage Them To Give Up Their Car

 As we get older, our reaction times slow down, and our eyesight can start to fail us. As a result, most health experts advise that elderly people should not drive as they could end up putting their lives at risk. Not only that, though, but they could also be putting other road users at risk. You may also find that buying car insurance for your parents gets difficult once they pass a certain age. So, it’s a good idea to try and persuade them to give up their car. This will be easy enough if they live in a town or city with good public transport links. If not, you might have to give them lifts more often.

Consider Changing Their Home Decor

 Your parents might find that they struggle to get around their home without certain adjustments. For example, if your parents use wheelchairs, then their current home layout will need to be altered so that they can easily get their wheelchair through the various rooms. If they can still walk but are quite frail, you should place plenty of items of furniture along the sides of the rooms so that they can hold on as they walk by. It will also be very useful if you could install a stairlift at home in order for them to get upstairs. It's not only easier but it's also a safer alternative to stairs.

You might also want to swap any carpeted floors for hardwood floors as these are better to clean if your parents ever spill anything. The bathroom also needs changes. You can begin with the floor and if changing it is not an option, you can consider placing anti-slip mats. Don't forget to install safety rails, a walk-in shower to make things easier.

Help To Manage Their Medication

As your parent's age, you might also find that they start to get a lot more confused over daily tasks. One such task which can be extremely difficult for them is sorting out their daily medication. The more meds they need to take on different days, the harder this will become. So, it’s worth taking some time at the weekends to sort out all of their different tablets and medications for the week ahead. You should buy a pill organizer so that you can keep everything in one place without the risk of them getting confused and not knowing what pills they need to take.

Watching your parents age and get older can be very difficult. However, if you follow these steps you will find that the whole process gets a lot easier for you and your parents to come to terms with.

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