When their own parents need care due to advancing age, adult children are often faced with a problem because they know little about caring for the elderly. What are the most important things to bear in mind as a layperson?

 

 

Care management

 

At the beginning, it is not easy to take on the additional burden in your daily routine, because your own family and your own life are still the centre of attention. You have to find a way to take sufficient care of your parents without neglecting others or jeopardising your health due to the stress. That's why it's important to divide up tasks. Depending on how old your children are, they can and should help out. Shopping, visits to the doctor, laundry or meals don't have to be done by one person alone. You have to learn to hand over tasks to others and rely on them.

If everyone helps out, the workload is less and a new daily routine quickly settles in.

 

Information

 

For the layperson, it is extremely important to talk to the doctor and obtain information about the new tasks. The respective health condition of the person in need of care requires different treatment. The needs must be clarified so that a way can be found to incorporate them into one's life.

It always helps to talk to friends or acquaintances who have experience with older people. You can also find like-minded people who are in a similar situation on internet forums so that you can give each other advice. 

Under no circumstances should you isolate yourself from your fellow human beings and concentrate solely on your parents in need of care. The burden becomes too great and your own psyche and health suffer as a result.

 

 

Elderly care

 

Even if the person in need of care is still relatively independent at the moment, you should find out in detail which care services are covered by health insurance or how much additional care for the elderly would cost. After all, the day may come when your health deteriorates drastically and you can no longer look after your parents on your own.

 

 

Organisation and documents

 

You should at least know where all the important documents of the person in need of care are located or even have access to them. This includes identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, family record book, insurance policies and, if applicable, house documents. It makes sense to make a photocopy of all documents so that you have access to the information at all times.

 

Friends and family

 

Your own social life should not suffer from the additional burden. You should maintain regular contact with friends and family members. Whether it's via email, Facebook, on the phone or in person, it's liberating to socialise and think about yourself. Take time out from time to time and go out with friends.

You also have to agree who will stand in in an emergency if the main carer falls ill or is absent.

 

Enjoy life

 

Caring for the elderly is difficult and brings with it worry, stress and frustration. But it can also provide valuable life experience. Instead of seeing the time as a burden, you can use it to learn something from the elderly and deepen your relationship with them. When you feel like everything is falling apart, it's important to take time and breathe deeply. There is something positive in everything, you can use the new situation to your advantage and mature yourself. 

It is also good if there are grandchildren who can take part in the care. When they spend an afternoon with their grandparents, they can learn a lot and often have fun playing board games together.