1. For Crying out Loud
Pride can be a very detrimental characteristic, especially for seniors who need help but are too proud to ask for it. Being attentive and listening for cues is one of the best ways to wiggle yourself into an aging parent's life and offer your assistance. You can find ways to help without stripping them of their dignity. Turn the situation around and make them think they are helping you out and you'll find a great opening to step into.
2. Have it Your way
When you've lived a long and fruitful life, it can be difficult to change your ways. Elderly folks often believe that the way they have been doing things has worked for them for a long time and don't see changes as improvements. Sometimes it's just easier to go ahead and leave all that money in the checking account instead of moving it to a higher yield type of account. Maybe washing and saving all those butter tubs seems like a useless endeavor, but if you're helping an elderly person and they want to save all their trash, just do it for them.
3. Basic Training
It isn't always the big stuff, like dispensing medications or performing physical therapy, that are important to the elderly. Often, help with the little things means more to someone who is losing her edge. Opening the mail and deciphering it is sometimes daunting to seniors. As finances change, balancing a checkbook or setting a budget can be an enormous relief to someone who has trouble understanding the processes. Sometimes a simple visit is all the help required.
4. Driving Miss Daisy
You often see a number of stubborn seniors out there who refuse to give up driving, setting themselves and other drivers up for some dangerous situations. Taking away driving privileges is a sign that the end is near for many elderly folks. Make this loss as painless as possible by being available to drive to shopping and doctors appointments. Make the trips fun. Set up schedules ahead of time, so you both can know what to expect of each excursion.
5. Watch the Home Fires
While you are running around taking care of an aging parent or neighbor, don't forget to take care of yourself. You won't be good to anyone if you collapse or lose it. Set limits and say no sometimes. Work out the schedules in advance and ask your elderly charge to follow those schedules; it can be a big help in the long run. In the short run, try to multi-task. Perhaps you can do your own shopping when you're at the store with a senior. Bring reading to catch up on while sitting in doctors' offices.
