Is Your Aging Father Difficult?

Dad may be a senior citizen now but think about all the things we thought about our dads growing up. Some made him a hero:

• He’s strong and tough
• He makes decisions for the family
• He protects us with his strong will

Some things we really appreciated in front of our friends:

• He minds his own business
• He doesn’t get all emotional
• He’s funny

And then we remember that he left household duties to Mom and just expected clean clothes in the closet and drawers, the carpets to be vacuumed and meals to get cooked and on the table. The problem is that when Mom dies, he doesn’t always know how to take care of the household cleaning and laundry. Meals may be a bowl of cereal over the sink or a high-sodium frozen dinner.

We might also remember that his opinions and what he wanted to happen is what drove most of the activity in the household. As Dad ages, all those attributes can work together to make him more stubborn and difficult and set in his ways, especially if he lives alone.

This lack of flexibility can make the loss of a driver’s license even more grievous. But did you know that in U.S. Census Bureau noted in 2009 that a full 31.3% of all auto accidents involved drivers over age 55? Often, men see it as a loss of independence. His adult children worry about how he will get around – to the doctor, the grocery or to social events. Not only how he will get around, but that he will make the effort to get out and go where he needs to go.

Dealing with a strong dad as he ages can be a challenge. Talk with him about the caring for himself and his home and brainstorm some solutions. If he thinks he has come up with an answer, he might accept it and allow his children to help implement the solution such as a cleaning, laundry or lawn care service. He might even see the value of going to the senior center for a meal with buddies daily or a few times a week.

We all love our dads and want them to be safe, healthy and happy – even if they are headstrong and difficult. He might never admit it, but hearing a friendly voice on the phone from a Care Caller at Keeping In Touch Solutions could become part of his daily routine. One that helps him lead a richer, fuller life in his retirement!

A daily check-in call could be the lifeline, the joy you give someone that makes the biggest difference in their perception of what old age is like.

Contact me at 317-480-1038 today. Let’s make a difference together.

I’m Diana Beam, Founder of Keeping in Touch Solutions. It is my heartfelt desire for every person to live a happy and healthy life in the place they call home, no matter what their age. You can’t put a price on peace of mind for your parents and yourself. It’s priceless . . . and significant.

For that reason, the goal of every Keeping In Touch Solutions program is to provide a caring connection and service that both the elderly and their caregivers can rely on to make living that good life easier.