Although you might not want to talk about it, having a chat with your ageing parents about their health eventually becomes essential. As a young adult, it increasingly becomes your responsibility to discuss with your parents their health needs, and whether they need any additional care as they get old.
There’s no pressure to engage in any of these conversations, but you might want to consider broaching the subject when the time seems right. Here are some of the tough conversations you might want to have.
If They Need To Wear Hearing Aids
As people get old, the sensitive lining of the middle ear begins to degrade and can no longer pick up sounds as accurately transmitted by the eardrum. The problem is that this process often occurs over the course of many years, if not decades, and so it can sometimes be hard for a parent to notice.
The time will come, though, when a conversation about hearing aids becomes inevitable. Hearing can degrade to the point where an ageing parent might not want to engage in social situations or may be unable to listen to the TV or radio. If your ageing parent is experiencing hearing loss, they can benefit significantly from hearing aids for seniors.
The good news is that hearing aids can both restore hearing and help keep their mental faculties sharp. They’re also comfortable and easy to fit, so there should be no worries there about suitability.
Whether To Move Out Of Home Or Not
When it comes to care, older adults have many options. Ageing-in-place is a type of care centred around helping older people stay in their homes. It has some advantages over other forms of care, including the fact that parents do not have to go through the upheaval of moving to a new location. The problem, though, is that for much of the time, parents will still be on their own, and so won’t have access to around-the-clock support. 24-hour live in nurse services are available, but also very expensive.
Porthaven points out that elderly parents have a second option: to move into a home with other seniors. These types of care situations not only provide support day and night but also help ageing parents plug into a community, avoiding feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Whether They Need To Change Their Habits
Although our bodies can take a lot of abuse while we’re young, they’re not nearly as able to do so when we get older. Eating mountains of meat, fried foods, and sugar isn’t wise, especially if parents are dealing with chronic health conditions.
Talking to parents about their lifestyle habits is never easy, and you don’t want to come across as preachy. But it can sometimes be worth pointing out some of the benefits of eating well, like having more energy, fewer aches and pains, and achieving a sense of wellbeing. Changes don’t have to be large: even small movements towards a healthier lifestyle can have a significant impact on overall health. Speak to them about eating more fruits and vegetables discuss with them the unique benefits that eating these foods can bring.
Mandy X
Featured image source: Pexels
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
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