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Do Your Aging Parents Need Help?
One of the most difficult stages in life is the shift from your parents helping you to you needing to help your parents. It’s sometimes difficult to watch, sometimes difficult to recognize, but always difficult to maneuver. One thing is certain: your parents are not going to be the ones to tell you they need a helping hand! Admitting the need for help is not easy for anyone at any age, but acknowledging the need for help and accepting assistance from your children is even harder. They have taken care of you and then, seemingly overnight, the table turns. It’s humbling to say the least. Taken one step further, to acknowledge you can no longer be wholly independent is soul-crushing. Think about the generation we’re talking about – if there’s anything we know about Baby Boomers, it’s that they are independent, self-assured, resourceful and determined. There isn’t anything they cannot do…until now. Your parents’ reluctance to identify they may need help means the responsibility falls on you or other family members. So, how do you recognize the signs that an aging loved one needs support? Next time you’re around them, try being a bit more attentive. It might be time to start regularly monitoring your parents’ physical and mental abilities. These signs can include things such as having trouble getting up from a seated position or becoming increasingly forgetful. Just remember, not every shift or change in their behavior means you need to start researching long-term care options. And don’t feel guilty because you don’t immediately know how to handle the situation. There are a number of ways to help your parents remain independent – recognizing their need for help is the first step. If you are interested in discovering what else to look out for, check out our 12 Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help Checklist.
