How to Respect Your Elders
Offer to provide support., Take on the responsibilities that you can., Help them stay healthy., Let them know you respect their autonomy.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Offer to provide support.
Elders often need some kind of support with simple day to day tasks.
They may need help reading their mail, or they may need almost constant care due to health concerns.
Begin by letting the elder in your life know that you would like to provide help.
Don’t make assumptions about what the person needs or wants.
Always ask before providing any kind of help.
If you don’t, the person may feel that you think they’re incompetent or don’t respect them.
You can say something like, “Grandmother, I know you may not need it, but if you’d like some help around the house or running errands, I’d love to do that for you.” -
Step 2: Take on the responsibilities that you can.
You might not be able to provide all of the care that the person needs.
For example, if someone needs nursing around the clock, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to provide that.
However, you can take on the responsibility of hiring and paying a nurse, or arranging for a rotation of family members to provide the necessary care.In some cultures, it’s considered disrespectful or a failure to hire someone outside the family to care for an elder.
Don’t overextend yourself.
Taking care of an elder may create some change in your life, but it shouldn’t cause you to lose your job or abandon your other obligations. , Elders may have a hard time staying active and eating healthy meals.
They may be less mobile than they used to be.
Shopping and cooking may be difficult for them.
Do what you can to make sure they’re eating right and getting gentle exercise.
Visit the person regularly and go for a walk with them.
Even a short walk provides fresh air and movement.
Bring them food when you come for a visit.
You can bring food you’ve prepared ahead of time, or groceries they can easily make use of.
That way, they won’t need to expend a lot of energy to get a nutritious meal.
If you can’t bring them food, look into programs such as Meals on Wheels that deliver food to the elderly. , Losing the ability to take care of oneself can be difficult and sometimes embarrassing for people.
Make sure that the elder knows that you still respect them and don’t think of them as infirm.
You can say things like, “I know you can cook for yourself, but I enjoy making meals that I can share with you.” You can also say, “Please let me know if there’s anything you need.
I’m happy to help, but I can respect that you like to do things on your own.” -
Step 3: Help them stay healthy.
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Step 4: Let them know you respect their autonomy.
Detailed Guide
Elders often need some kind of support with simple day to day tasks.
They may need help reading their mail, or they may need almost constant care due to health concerns.
Begin by letting the elder in your life know that you would like to provide help.
Don’t make assumptions about what the person needs or wants.
Always ask before providing any kind of help.
If you don’t, the person may feel that you think they’re incompetent or don’t respect them.
You can say something like, “Grandmother, I know you may not need it, but if you’d like some help around the house or running errands, I’d love to do that for you.”
You might not be able to provide all of the care that the person needs.
For example, if someone needs nursing around the clock, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to provide that.
However, you can take on the responsibility of hiring and paying a nurse, or arranging for a rotation of family members to provide the necessary care.In some cultures, it’s considered disrespectful or a failure to hire someone outside the family to care for an elder.
Don’t overextend yourself.
Taking care of an elder may create some change in your life, but it shouldn’t cause you to lose your job or abandon your other obligations. , Elders may have a hard time staying active and eating healthy meals.
They may be less mobile than they used to be.
Shopping and cooking may be difficult for them.
Do what you can to make sure they’re eating right and getting gentle exercise.
Visit the person regularly and go for a walk with them.
Even a short walk provides fresh air and movement.
Bring them food when you come for a visit.
You can bring food you’ve prepared ahead of time, or groceries they can easily make use of.
That way, they won’t need to expend a lot of energy to get a nutritious meal.
If you can’t bring them food, look into programs such as Meals on Wheels that deliver food to the elderly. , Losing the ability to take care of oneself can be difficult and sometimes embarrassing for people.
Make sure that the elder knows that you still respect them and don’t think of them as infirm.
You can say things like, “I know you can cook for yourself, but I enjoy making meals that I can share with you.” You can also say, “Please let me know if there’s anything you need.
I’m happy to help, but I can respect that you like to do things on your own.”
About the Author
Brittany Thompson
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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