Is Your Aging Parent Another Child in the House? How to Handle This

Speaking from personal experience I can say that having an elder parent living in your house is way more fun than people think it is. Sure they might piss you off every now and again, but that is why God, in all his infinite wisdom, invented compassion towards the helpless/hopeless. When my father was first diagnosed with dementia, we all though that this was the end of Grandpa Jack as we knew him. The doctor warned us about some of the things we could expect through the course of the illness and we made bloody sure that he was well taken care of until then. We gave him all the best 'brain foods' we can afford as well as providing him with all the crosswords and all the on-line poker he can handle. Keeping his brain moving and ticking was our number one priority, for when that part of him short-circuits and fails, he was as good as gone. Eventually the disease caught up with the poor old fool, and we were left to deal will all the ramifications associated with looking after my senile father.  

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Knowing is half the battle!

What I recommend here is that you educate yourself about the exact condition of the elder person in question. If your parent or grandparent is not diagnosed with any particular illness, you should still observe their condition just in case the doctors missed something. Any inappropriate mood swings, changes in speech and behavior are a clear indication that something is afoot, and you should take preventative measures before it is too late!

Arm yourself with patience.

It is not your parents' fault they are loosing their minds, so you shouldn't make a big deal when said parents forgets to turn off the stove. Sure they can start a few fires, but the way you approach them about it you should never be patronizing, demeaning or otherwise a bastard to them in any way. Remember that they were once people too! Repeating yourself like 100 times a day and arguing about mysterious misplaced/stolen belongings should never make you feel angry or spiteful. Calmly but assertively tell the elder that they are wrong, and if they still insist on deluding themselves further, just forget about the whole thing altogether; they sure will.

Make them take their medication.

If you have been looking after an elder person for a while, you would know that they are usually dropping lots and lots of prescription drugs. Blue pills, red pills, little yellow square pills, whatever! Because of their condition however, they would no longer be able to remember to take said medication, which mean you must find the time to supply it to them yourself. Like I said, patience is the key that opens the doors of success!

Treat them like you would treat any other person

If your mom or dad is acting like a child, that is because they think like a child. Now if you are one upstanding person, you would know that treating a child like its an object rather than an individual can have some pretty negative consequences on child's dignity and self-esteem. Senile old people deserve the same rights and privileges as the rest of us have, maybe even more! And because they have given most their youth raising you, you should at least give some of your time helping them! Do not send them away to some third-rate retirement home, unless you want your children to do the same to you! Smile, laugh and let nature run its course!

Author Bio: Jessica Connars is blogger, writer and family lover. She has a small company that provides home deep cleaning but her real dream is to be a professional blogger.