AD- Collaborative post
Grandparents. I am so lucky to have them, especially a pair that are very close geographically and personally to me. Fun fact – I actually had 13 grandparents including step-grandparents and great-grandparents when I was born! Grandparents probably looked after us all when we were younger but it could be coming up to the time in their lives where we need to look after them. Here are three things to do to make sure you’re looking after them in collaboration with Age UK.
1. Keep in contact
Regular letters, visits and phone calls mean the world if your grandparents are retired and chilling at home. My grandad is a really busy person and is still up and around a lot so we try to visit every 6 weeks or so just to check in or meet up for a meal or a nice walk somewhere in the countryside. Keeping in contact can really help to tackle elderly loneliness if they live alone.
2. Make your home accessible
If your grandparents or elderly relatives come to visit quite often or even may have to stay over, or, in the future you think they may need to move in with you thinking about how accessible your home is could be really important. Things like walk-in baths or showers and downstairs shower facilities are essential. Plus, Age UK say: “As people get older, safety is crucial and bathroom accessories such as grab rails and drop down rails can offer this support – helping to prevent the risk of falls and promoting confidence to bathe independently.”
Another pointer for home accessibility is making sure other things in the home are at a good height to reach is also something to remember. For example, things like above head height microwaves may not be the best addition to your new kitchen as when dexterity is affected taking hot things out from microwaves could be dangerous. Next time you renovate your home it could be an idea to think about the future and whether you will need to have anything like this installed into your home or re-assessed.
Age UK Mobility have so much great advice for looking after the older members of your family so check their website out if you need any more information.
3. Train them up on tech!
Training your grandparents in technology can really help with communication and staying in touch, especially if you don’t live close to them but also during pandemics which is obviously something random that we’ve all had to deal with! This is really important if your grandparents or elderly relatives live on their own as I’m sure everyone knows. Keeping in touch and keeping them company with a regular phone or video call can mean a lot to them.
I am slowly getting there with my grandad, he texts me now and this is big business! He still tells me that it’s him every time he calls and I still tell him I know because my phone tells me with caller ID but we are definitely getting there with technology. We even do little FaceTime calls with him and his lovely wife so lockdown was good to practice for us.
