About elderly loved ones. You can listen to this article:
As children, our parents and older adults help us with everything we need. They take responsibility for everything from carrying us around to even bearing our food and waste. Now that we are fully-functioning adults, our parents and elderly loved ones have grown old and fragile. Now it is our time to return the favor and care for them.
However, taking care of your elderly loved ones might come naturally. What seems to create some problems in carrying it out smoothly is the relationship you share with them. If you are close with your elderly loved ones, then things become twice as easy. However, a drift in that relationship may put you at odds with caring for your elderly loved ones.
8 Ways to Strengthen Your Bond with Your Elderly Loved Ones
Do you have an elderly loved one to take care of but don’t know how to create a strong bond with them? Sometimes the age gap can make it difficult to bond with your elderly loved ones but worry not. Here are eight practical ways that help you bridge that gap and create a special and strong bond with your elderly loved ones.
Let’s get started!
→ Regularly Spend Time Together
Understandably if you are taking care of an elderly loved one, you get to spend time with them. However, it is crucial to regularly spend time with them apart from the take care routine of asking if they ate, took medicine, showered, etc. This shows that you are willing to spend time with them and not just be there as an obligation to look after them.
→ Prioritize Communication
It is vital for any two people crating a relationship to communicate and understand each other. So in order to develop understanding between you and your loved one, communicate and prioritize communication at all levels. Listen to them when they have something to say and provide your input likewise. Keeping secrets won’t do anybody good.
→ Bring Up Fun Memories
You and your elderly loved one, whether parents or grandparents, uncles or aunts, share a common past. So while you may have drifted apart over the years, you can bring up fun memories that you have shared together to rekindle the bond. For instance, a destination wedding you both attended a few years. You can pull up pictures and share interesting conversations about it.
→ Shake Up That Old Age Wisdom
Think about it: you have years of experience and knowledge sitting right in front of you, and you aren’t doing anything about it? One of the best ways to strengthen your bond with your elderly loved one is to shake that old age wisdom. Ask them questions you have about their lives, take advice or learn about the time when they were young, etc.
→ Stay Light-Hearted In Your Interactions
While elderly loved ones are sweet and precious, they are often very open with their feelings. However, they always mean well and carry no purposefully grudges or intentions to hurt you. Therefore, it is best if you are trying to strengthen your bond with an elderly loved one. You stay light-hearted in your interactions with them. Have a sense of humor so to not take anything seriously to get hurt.
→ Introduce Them to Technology
We all are hard-wired to technology today. So while we’re at it, there is no restriction in allowing your elderly loved ones to enjoy the perks of technology too. For instance, you can get them an iPad and show them ways to use social media, the internet, and online games. You can share these fun elements with them and even help them get introduced to online senior communities and groups.
→ Find a Common Hobby
From gardening to cooking, pottery, and painting or weaving – there are a plethora of activities that you can take up as a hobby with your elderly loved one. It might be that they already have a passion for it, and you can join them. Otherwise, you can introduce them to something you like and you both can do it together.
→ Respect Their Medical Condition
Last but not least, respect comes in all forms, but in this case, you must respect the health condition of your elderly loved one (if they have any). Don’t disrespect, mock or question their symptoms or behavioral changes due to the ailment. Instead, provide with utmost support and care in every way.
In Conclusion,
Our elderly loved ones might be old, frail, and fragile, but they can be extremely smart and sensitive. Hence, it is best to acquire some additional skills and put in some much-needed effort to create a special and important bond with them over time. After all, one day, we will also grow old and may need the same level of care and affection with our family.
Our team members at United Insurance deal with utmost compassion and understanding with our clients. It is in our best practices to strike a balance between professionalism and emotion while remaining respectful to our clients throughout their Medicare journey with us. We strive to educate wisely and provide an excellent customer experience. Our team pushes to exceed your expectations every day.
Contact us today to get started on your Medicare journey with us!