The question was raised recently, “how do I, as a daughter, get my elderly father to take an active roll in taking care of himself? Now that my mom is gone, he looks to me to solve all the problems she used to. When I visit I trim his eyebrows for him, take him to get his hair cut, clean his house, wash his clothes, remind him to change his clothes, wash his face, and have a shower. It’s been two years since my mother died, and I see no improvement. What can I do to get him to take an active interest in his life, to perform the day to day tasks to care for himself? I love my father, but I just can’t keep doing all of this for him all of the time.” Our parents raised and took care of us while we were young, and while we do feel we owe it to them to offer our assistance when we can, we often cannot be there for them all the time. It is also hard to imagine placing our parent(s) into a senior care facility when we know they can care for themselves.
Often, when one parent loses the other, they have lost a best friend and partner who has been with them through most of their entire adult life.
It can feel to them like a part of them has died, and this can create a feeling of not wanting to care for themselves. If we know are our elderly parent is physically capable of caring for themselves, but has lost the will to do so, we then can look for ways to encourage them to find joy in their lives again.
Locally, in Prince George, we have the Brunswick Street Senior Activity Centre where seniors can participate in activities like carpet bowling, Bridge, enjoy homemade lunches , karaoke, fitness, and even Sunday dinner.
The Prince George Council of Seniors / Senior Resource Centre (PGCOS) offers a lot of information on different local social events for seniors, denture clinics, outreach programs, peer support, meals on wheels, and wellness promotion workshops (just to name a few).
Some other options are:
- Elder Citizen Recreation Association: 1692 10th Avenue, 250-561-9381
- Hart Pioneer Centre: 6986 Hart Highway, 250-962-6712
- Prince George and District Senior Activity Centre: 425 Brunswick Street, 250-564-3287
- Spruce Capital Seniors Recreation Centre: 3701 Rainbow Drive, 250-563-6450
- North Central Seniors Association: 5401 Moriarty Crescent, 250-964-3042
The City of Prince George Seniors Activities, and finally, Northern Health Elderly Services is another great resource.
Being with other people who may have experienced loss themselves, but are now out enjoying life, can often help to encourage our elderly parents to feel part of the community, and to give them a sense of purpose again.
Offering your elderly parent self-help information can help get them back into a routine of caring for themselves. As well, connecting with old friends can often be a way to bring some joy back into the life of a senior.
Being with other people can often help to encourage our elderly parents to feel part of the community, and to give them a sense of purpose again. Offering your elderly parent self-help information can help get them back into a routine of caring for themselves. Connecting with old friends can often be a way to bring some joy back into the life of a senior.
At Cariboo Home and Health Services we are here to help lend a hand with some of the things that can assist the elderly, and still give them a sense of independence. Our elderly care services include things like transport for shopping, medical appointments, or even just lunch with friends. We can provide light housekeeping, do laundry, mending and ironing, or even take care of shopping and running errands.
Our goal is to get our elderly parents back to enjoying their lives, being part of the community, and caring for themselves.
Reach out if you have an elderly parent who can benefit from our services, we would be happy to help!
