Tips for Caring for Your Aging Parent

New 2023 Guide For Caregivers

First you should know: caring for your aging parent is a huge responsibility. Most are pressed for time, energy, and resources.

Second, it is also one of the more emotionally complex and difficult endeavors you can experience.

Finally, your relationships changes when you start carting for your aging parent your relationship changes.

Old roles may not apply. Emotions are different.

In other words: your relationship paradigm shifts. Indeed, the parent-child playbook you’ve been working out of for 40+ years changes, too.

What's the Sandwich Generation?

You are a part of what is now called the Sandwich Generation. These are the middle age folks caring for their families and aging parents.

Caring for your parent is one of the highest callings of your life.

But it’s good to remember that calling come with challenges.

What to expect in this caregiver guide?

Above all, this guide offers practical tips to help you care for your parent. Even more, it helps you keep your sanity while doing just that.

We've been there

The number one concern I had as my mother got older was - is she eating? The answer was yep, my mom was eating...but not the right stuff and not nearly enough, which was really scary.

In short, she had congestive heart failure. She was released to us on hospice care with 10 percent heart function. Once we started putting plant-based meals in front of her, we saw her health transform. Five years later, she's doing great and her heart function is at 45 percent. She drives everywhere, swims several times a week, and plays with her 5-year-old granddaughter daily.

We set out to make it easy for other folks to help their family members eat healthy, plant-based meals.

Obviously everyone's experience is different, yet there are common themes that make it easier. If you're one of the 65 million or so Americans caring for an aging relative,B I offer my deep respect. Also, I ofer these suggestions to help your family build a strong foundation. All in all, the goal is to better equip you for the ups and downs.

1. Caring for your aging parent with the right foods

Basically, helping your aging parent eat right can have a profound impact on their health. When you are in a caregiving position, usually your parent is in declining health.

One of the most powerful ways to help your parent? For example, provide them with food that does not further compromise their health and energy.

As can be seen, this caregivers guide explores tips for helping parents eat right:

Small portions

First, consider five to six smaller meals a day. Large portions can be a deterrent for seniors struggling with a waning appetite.

Second, using small plates or bowls can help you avoid overwhelming your parent at meal times.

Whole foods, plant-based

Seniors often go for processed foods because they're easy. However, so much of processed food is literally making folks sick.

Therefore, you can stock their kitchen with easy whole food, plant-based snacks. For instance, unsalted raw almonds, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains.

Smoothies

First, know that smoothies are a wonder food for aging parents. They taste like dessert and deliver the goods for proteins, carbs, and all important servings of fruits and veggies.

Second, here is a tip. Use a small glass, and a straw (it’s amazing how much more a person will drink with a straw). Also, find out your parents favorite flavor.

aging-parent-hydration

2. Help your aging parent stay hydrated

First: make sure they're drinking. While diminished thirst is really common with seniors, helping your parents stay on top of their water consumption is essential. Surely, senior dehydration is serious stuff. For instance, it can lead to bigger problems, like low blood pressure or urinary tract infections.

Water bottles

Get a few high quality water bottles that can keep your parent's water nice and chilly. Keep them filled and place them in several spots throughout the house: the bedroom, the living room, etc.

Infused water

To make water more flavorful, infuse it with natural fruits. Some tasty combinations include: lemon, basil, and strawberry; lime, cucumber, and mint; blueberry and orange. Unlike fruit juice, there's no added sugars of chemicals.

Additionally, they're easy to make. Finally, you can make a big batch at once and place a pitcher in the fridge.

Hydrating snacks

If your parent has an aversion to or disinterest in water, you can get creative when keeping them hydrated.

Firstly, try slicing up fresh fruit or vegetables that have a lot of water, like watermelon and cucumbers.

In the same way, offer mini-smoothies to boost their liquid intake.

aging-parent-organization

3. Help your aging parent by getting organized

When it comes to caring for your aging parent, managing medications is a biggie.

This is as much for you as it is for them.

When you are somewhat organized, you may prevent yourself from having a melt-down when the pharmacy calls to say they won’t refill your parent’s prescription.

Make a list

Go through all your loved one's medications, prescriptions and over-the-counter, and create and maintain a list.

Give a copy to your parent so they can better keep track of what they're taking, and why - and have handy instructions on how to take each one.

Keep a list for yourself too in case an emergency arises and you need to know what they're taking.

Make a system

When you create a system for medications, it will get messed up. Make a system anyway. After all, it will help you stay sane when the pharmacy can’t refill a prescription.

Know their meds

You will want to know what medications your parent takes, what each medication does, the dosage amounts and frequency, and refill dates.

Learn the names of medications and what they are for, the expiration dates.

Make friends with pharmacists and doctors

These folks are often the front line of caring for your aging parents. By and large, they're also an incredible resource.

aging-parent-self-care

4. Help your aging parent by helping yourself

Yes, you love your parents. But caring for your aging parents is complex.

The stress of caring for your aging parents can actually have adverse effects on your health. 63% of caregivers report having poor eating habits than non-caregivers. Similarly, 58% indicate worse exercise habits than before caregiving responsibilities.

With this in mind, it's so important for you to take the time to take care of yourself, too.

It's not selfish.

It's a necessary part of the job!

Take a break from caring for your aging parent

Focus on your own health - eat well, exercise, go to the doctor, relax. Indeed, taking time for yourself will not only make you feel better. Even more, t'll make you a better caretaker.

Ask for help

Although you may worry asking for help puts a "burden" on someone else, you can't do it all alone. Make a list of the things you could use help with: grocery shopping, bathing, cooking. So it's easier for someone to help when they offer (or you ask).

Forgive yourself

Another key point: there will be days when you lose your temper.

Similarly, some days you feel resentful.

Sometimes you will get it wrong. That's OK!

In reality, this isn't an easy job. Although understanding that you can't and won't be a perfect caregiver makes it a lot easier.

What's next?

To conclude, think of the tips outlined in this guide as ongoing maintenance. To put it differently, if you let the basics slip, you can quickly tip into ineffectiveness. This isn't good for anyone. In view of this, first focus on mastering the fundamentals.

Need some help caring for your aging parent?

Let us take something off your plate by putting something healthy on your loved one's plate.

Our Just For Me Meal Bundle has 21 ready-made plant-based meals. It's chock-full of delicious, hearty, fresh and already-cooked plant-based dishes so you can rest assured your parent is enjoying healthy, well-balanced, tasty meals every day.