Kinship Point Northridge, Dani Roseberry joined Talk of the Town this morning to discuss how to be proactive, assist, talk and understand your aging parents.
Many reasons behind the fear of aging can stem from loss of independence, decline in health, loneliness and etc.
“Independence is something we’ve strived for our whole lives right, and you know definitely in adulthood it’s something we all pride ourselves in. In being independent and being able to provide for ourselves and others” says Roseberry.
But instead of going straight into control mode to care for parents, Roseberry suggest creating options and offering help when needed to still allow aging parents control of their own lives.
Discussions about health changes can also benefit both sides, and can open up room to talk about how to handle future decisions that will have to be made. Whether they can stay at home independently or not, what can be done to continue that self independence, financial burdens, and health issues.
Finally is the challenge surrounding loneliness many ageing parents will have to face, whether it be friends, loved ones or partners. Therefore, creating a plan on how to help them avoid the isolation that can come from being alone can be crucial to their mental and physical well being. The conversation about a senior living facility may also come up as something to consider as well, due to the social and support groups readily available.
At the end, talking and creating a plan with your ageing parent can not only be beneficial but also free each other of stresses that would have otherwise come from finances, health issues, and independence.
