Over the last few decades, the average age at which women give birth has been rising, so instead of being most likely to have a baby in their early twenties, it’s now probable that the majority of women will be in their thirties or even older before they have their first child. As a result, many women in their twenties and thirties have parents who are in their sixties and seventies. Many older parents will be fit and well, but many others will be facing declining health as they age, and will need your support to enjoy their remaining years.
Older parents are wonderful
Having older parents isn’t a negative, in fact, it’s a positive! There are many advantages in having older parents, and for them, starting a family later in life probably worked out best in terms of maturity, stability, and being able to cope with the demands of parenthood. Depending on your circumstances, it might be easier for you to help your parents when you’re younger, especially if you’ve yet to start your own family. If you have older parents, no doubt you adore them and wish them a long and happy life; and you can help them to achieve that aim.
Communicating with your parents
When you and your parents are all adults, you often become more friends than parent and child, although the parental instincts are usually not far beneath the surface – and if you need help, your parents are still the people you want to turn to first. Just because your folks are seniors doesn’t mean they need to be treated any differently, and your relationship with them should continue just as it always has done. All you need to do is take time to listen to what they’re saying and observe how they’re managing with everything in their lives so that you can spot the signs that they might be needing extra help.
What older parents need
What your parents need from you will vary according to how well they are, how mobile and confident, and where they live. For instance, your mom may be fine because she lives in a one-story apartment, whereas your friend’s dad needs to have a stairlift installed in his two-story house.
Most people if given a choice would far rather stay in their own home than go into care, and with the high standards of modern non-medical elderly in home care available via companies like Inhomecare.com, older people are able to stay at home for longer, and in many cases permanently. The best thing you can do for your parents is giving them the assistance they need with everyday tasks once they start to need it, and when you’ve reached the limit of what you can manage yourself, find the best possible help for them, whether that’s domestic help or home care.
While you may see your parents as being active and healthy and find it hard to believe that may change, aging is an inevitable part of life. You just need to be there for them when they need a helping hand.
