Caring for Elderly Parents

Posted by
Lisa C. DeLuca
Mar 10, 2009

Several years ago, I was offered the opportunity to run a caregiver support group, provide training and counsel family caregivers one-on-one. I had much training in counseling but none as a family caregiver. I thought that working with people who were already in the trenches would provide me with important life experience that I might need in the future, should my parents or in-laws become ill. For reasons that were perhaps, selfish, I took the job.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to work with many people my age and older who are taking care of elderly parents. I have worked with dozens of seniors who are taking care of their spouses, and I have met many of their grown children. And, you know what? I was right. I gained so much from this experience. If I was able to give as much as I received I will be happy.

Much of what I learned is contained in the following pages. I hope it will help you in your caregiving journey.

Adult children caring for elderly parents should definitely visit the family communication page:

Improve Family Communication. This is a blog post with links to four essential concrete, how-to articles on improving family communication.

For those providing hands-on care:

Online Video Resources for Family Caregivers Caregiver Education Online Can Help Families Caring for Seniors

Information for anyone with aging or elderly parents to help you understand how your relationship with parents evolves at this stage of life and to better understand the needs of the elderly:

How to Relate to Elderly Parents: Ways to Help Improve a Relationship with Aging Parents

Relating to Aging Parents: Why Relationships with Elderly Parents Need to Evolve

Adult Children Caring for Elderly Parents: Who is in Charge when Dealing with Aging or Ill Parents?

Caring for Aging Parents: Understanding "Aging in Place" and "Slow Medicine"

Health Care for Elderly Parents: Understanding Dr. Dennis McCullough's Slow Medicine Can Help

Caregiving issues:

Caring for Elderly Parents: A Geriatric Care Manager Can Help Long Distance Caregivers

Home Health Care Options: When and How to get In-Home Caregiver Help

The Nursing Home Decision: How to Find the Best Way to Care for Loved Ones

Recommended Books:

Legal Advice: How to Stop an Elder from Driving: Review of The Boomer's Guide to Aging Parents by Rosenblatt

Geriatric Care for Elderly Parents: A Review of Dr. Dennis McCullough's My Mother Your Mother

The Everything Guide to Caring for Aging Parents: A New Caregiver Book Review for People Taking Care of Their Parents

Book Review of Mom's Cancer: Strategies, Support and Help for Caregivers, by Irene Taylor

Sep 12, 2009 6:51 PM

Guest :

I think showing parents/ grandparents how to use computers & the internet is an extremely important aspect of caring for them in today's world.

With computers and the Internet, senior citizens can avoid having to line up at the bank, can ward off loneliness through chat rooms and forums and blogs etc, and can find that feeling of accomplishment and achievement that otherwise may escape them after leaving the workforce.

The issue is that so few people are prepared to help seniors in this regard!

Luckily there are free pieces of software such as "Big Buttons" available which can help seniors take those first steps into computing (http://www.bigbuttons.com.au). I hope something changes soon and people start caring for the elderly more!