Becoming aware of our own ageing may be easier than realising that our parents are also getting older. From a certain age onwards, those concerns that seemed so distant during adolescence and youth burst into our lives in the form of new unknowns. How to deal with ageing parents, their new needs and their physical and psychological changes? Thanks to Cuidum's home care services, you will not find yourself alone in this difficult task.

Reconnecting with Our Elders in Their Old Age

The behavioural patterns of the human being are sometimes so obvious that one could make a very close outline of the evolution of the relationships between parents and children. In childhood, parents are our heroes and heroines, the people who protect us and do everything right.


Adolescence means a distancing from these feelings and, in many cases, the rejection of the affection that our older loved ones profess for us.


Youth is a rather selfish time when personal enjoyment and individual experiences take precedence over family relationships. As we reach adulthood, we rediscover our parents and become aware that while we have reached maturity, they have aged.


There is nothing reprehensible in the attitude of young people or adults, parents or children. In life, we progress according to cycles without which we would not be able to reach the conclusions we reach when we reach maturity. The important thing is to understand that this is not a race to make up for the lost time but an investment in future time, the time we still have left to live in the company of our loved ones.

In this respect, too, human psychology is very predictable. Irrespective of cultural, religious or socio-economic issues, the main concerns of children who begin to be aware of the ageing of their parents and what this implies are always very similar:

• The new needs of an increasingly dependent person.
• Fear of illness or the suffering of our loved ones.
• The impact that their dependency can have on our own social and family life.
• The responsibilities of dealing with elderly parents.
• Changes in attitudes and the emergence of conflicts.
• Disagreement among family members regarding who is responsible for looking after elderly parents.
• Financial aspects arising from the need to resort to using residential homes or home care services for the elderly.
• Loss of freedom and independence for both older people and those who take care of them.
• Frustration at the inevitable reality of parents getting older.
  
  

• Maintain open communication with your elders, recognise your origins, understand your present and project your future.
• Don't try to change them; accept them. Assume that old age implies a change of pace and that you have to adapt to it.
• Offer them your support. Growing older does not mean giving up your old hopes and dreams. Older people still have their aspirations and dreams. Respect them and help them to achieve them.
• Cherish them. Treasure those moments that you will remember forever with special tenderness. Happiness is in those small, unique and unrepeatable details. Learn to identify them and give them the value they deserve.
  
  

Deterioration of motor and mental abilities, increased vulnerability to disease and limitations in performing some routines are part of the ageing process.


Facing this transformation does not mean giving up a life of one's own. For decades, traditional family patterns have imposed the 'obligation' for children to take over the care of their elderly parents even in the most difficult circumstances. Time and experience have shown that imposing this solution is not beneficial for either party and that there are other equally responsible and much more advantageous alternatives to deal with the situation.


At Cuidum, we make it easy for you to make your parents' old age a very special stage for everyone. We select experienced carers for the elderly and provide a reliable home care service with a high-quality standard.


Are you worried about your ageing parents? With today's alternatives for caring for the elderly at home, coping with their new needs is no longer a problem. On the other hand, the current situation regarding old age is somewhat more hopeful. World Health Organisation reports reveal that with the advancement of each generation, we gain in health and lose in dependency.


The empowerment of the elderly is a reality, but so is the abandonment, lack of companionship and loneliness of the elderly. Assimilating ageing as a natural part of the life cycle and using home care for the elderly allows you to enjoy your relatives' old age with independence, responsibility and happiness.