What are the Challenges of Taking Care of Seniors

As our beloved elders age their body becomes weak and their movements get restricted. They also become emotionally vulnerable and began to feel depressed and lonely. So, there arise a lot of challenges while taking care of seniors.

Here, I am going to discuss the challenges that you can face while taking care of your dear parents or other senior members and how to successfully overcome those challenges.

•  As our parents age they need help with their daily activities. They need their younger ones to manage all the activities like helping them with household chores, visiting the doctor, going to banks, markets, meal preparations etc.  The main challenge is young people have their job commitments which need to be fulfilled sincerely and for that reason, they can’t devote the time which a senior needs daily. This becomes a challenging situation for the young people as most of the time the seniors feel left out and depressed. Moreover, due to better job prospects, younger people often settle abroad or move to another city and sometimes they are unable to take their parents with them. This affects the mind of the senior people drastically. They feel valueless, ignored and lonely. The young people also feel helpless as they can’t come running from abroad or other cities whenever they feel like.

•  Taking care of the medical and health issues of senior people is another major challenge. As people age their health deteriorates and the issue aggravates further when any of our seniors have chronic disorders which need extra care and attention daily. But as children have their prior job commitments they can’t take out enough time from work daily that is required daily to take proper care of their ailing parents.

•  Keeping the elders safe and sound is also a major challenge. As people age, they are more prone to trips and falls. Apart from these, managing their financial and legal matters are also challenging for their children as they can’t invest the required time due to their jobs and other important works

•  Young people often neglect their health while taking care of their parents which affects their health and mind. Additionally, if they are married and have kids they are unable to devote time towards them that affect their family life too.

Now, I am going to share how to overcome the challenges of taking care of seniors:

•  Talk with your parents and enquire about their needs and ask how they are feeling. Be sensitive towards their situation and try to give them some time so that they feel valued.  Be regular with their doctors and other important appointments.  Hire a professional caregiver or other senior care services according to their requirement so that your parents get the required attention and they get someone to share their thoughts with. There are many elder care services in Kolkata which provide services at the convenience of your home.

•  Encourage them to take care of their health.  They can go for morning or evening walks to inhale some fresh air. Some freehand exercises can also help them to be healthy. At home, try to create a safe and secure environment for your beloved elders where they can feel comfortable and secure. Install a CCTV camera if possible to prevent intruders from getting inside your house. 

•  Spend some time with your beloved seniors so that they don’t feel left out. Invest your time to watch a movie with them; some religious thought sharing can also be helpful. If you are residing in other countries, make sure you keep in touch through phone calls, emails or video calls at least twice or thrice a week. Make them feel special and valued by hosting surprise birthday and anniversary parties. Surprise them with sudden planned short trips or picnics so that they remain happy.

•  Encourage your beloved elders to socialize,  this helps them remain stress-free and happy. They can also take up hobbies like gardening, paintings, jewellery making etc. that will keep them engaged and relaxed.

The blog highlights some major challenges that we face while taking care of our beloved elders and also throws light on the steps which you could follow to overcome the challenges in taking care of our loved ones.