10 Resources To Use When Caring for Aging Parents
When we are children, our parents seem invincible. Moms and dads feed us, clothe us, and love us through the really great times and the particularly tough days. There is nothing they can't do, and we think they will be around forever. But as we age, as much as we don't like to admit it — and often neither do they — our parents are getting older too and might need more help from us.
But where should we start? What do we do? How much care do they need? And how much help do we need to care for them? These questions are common among adults with aging parents, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. No one wants to think about their parents getting older, losing their independence, and ultimately, passing away. It can be heartbreaking.
We love our parents more than they could understand, and we don't want them to be lonely, helpless, or to ever feel like they have lost their dignity. Thankfully, there are resources for us, the adult children, to navigate this season of our lives with love and respect while maintaining ourselves.
We need to remember we are not alone and millions just like us are experiencing the same struggles and can provide support to make the transition easier.
More from CafeMom: After Years of Infertility Heartache, 50-Year-Old Woman Becomes a Mom for the First Time
Sanvello
Let's be honest: Life becomes more stressful and challenging the older we get. Careers, children, relationships, and figuring out how to balance the budget and make ends meet is hard enough without adding the additional emotional weight of dealing with aging parents. Sanvello is a fantastic app that supports mental health by creating personalized wellness plans we can follow at our own pace.
Daughterhood
This online community serves as a virtual support group for those caring for aging parents and loved ones. Daughterhood understands that sometimes being the child of aging parents can be just as challenging as parenting a small child. A tremendous amount of work goes into caring for older parents that goes far beyond day-to-day physical needs. Adult children act as caregivers, real estate agents, and lawyers, and they wear many other hats. This site offers a wealth of information about how to deal with it all.
Independent Transportation Network
Sometimes it isn't always possible to get aging parents where they need to go. Careers and children can make driving back and forth to day-to-day appointments difficult. The Independent Transportation Network offers seniors transportation so they do not lose their freedom and become locked in their homes simply because they can't drive.
As Our Parents Age So Do We
The site As Our Parents Age So Do We offers "timely topics on aging for adult children" and includes everything from teaching parents about technology to knowing what to do if parents fall. The blog offers a variety of essays and first-person accounts that are extremely relatable and helpful for those who may be new to taking care of their aging parents.
Adult Children of Aging Parents
Adult Children of Aging Parents is a nonprofit organization with multiple chapters in the United States. Founders Frances Hall and Jane Everson started the organization because they understood the complexities of dealing with aging parents and wanted to help others. ACAP created an educational program and nationally validated curriculum to help the children of aging parents. Through in-person events and virtual workshops, speakers educate on topics geared toward getting older. The organization also offers information about starting a chapter in your area.
Caring Community
It is a harsh reality, but sometimes we have to deal with a parent's illness or end of life, and it is more than we can do on our own. Caring Community offers hospice and palliative care to seniors nearing the end of their lives. The organization also provides a host of resources to help adult children deal with the emotions of caring for a dying parent.
Fifty Forward
Life doesn't have to end because we get older; things just change. For our parents, that may mean retiring, slowing down, moving into a new place, or getting more help. Fifty Forward gives adult children tips on how to live life best as we age and include our parents in that life. It also emphasizes the importance of self-care. Just like when dealing with our kids, we can't care for them if we don't take care of ourselves first.
Lotsa Helping Hands
This site is fantastic because it assists multiple people in getting organized so they can help their loved ones. There always seems to be that one person in the family with the burden of most responsibility. It is often too much to handle for one person, and that person needs a break occasionally. The Lotsa Helping Hands App is a resource for creating group calendars, arranging doctor's appointments for loved ones, grocery shopping, and spending time with an aging parent. It is a helpful resource for all families.
AARP
Many of us know AARP, the American Association of Retired People, as the organization that sends cards that allow seniors to get all kinds of discounts. AARP also offers excellent information for caregivers who work with seniors. It provides articles about everything from navigating Medicaid to splitting care costs among siblings and where to find support groups for seniors. AARP understands that although adult children want to care for their aging parents, they sometimes need help knowing where to start.
More from CafeMom: 2-Year-Old Helps ‘Pandemic BFF’ Celebrate Her 100th Birthday & the Sweet Pair Are Too Cute
Alzheimer's Association
Alzheimer's disease and dementia are devastating diagnoses but a part of daily life for millions of families. The Alzheimer's Association provides a wealth of information to adult children physically caring for their parents, who have often lost their memory and cannot live without help. Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's and dementia sometimes become depressed taking care of their aging parents because they are no longer the people they knew and loved their whole lives. The organization offers help for families to understand the disease, how to help the parent live their best life, and how caregivers can as well.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
| FAMILY & PARENTING