Caring for ageing parents and grandparents
🔵 Wellness practice
In many families, caring for elders is an act of love and respect. It can also be tiring, especially alongside work and children. Small, steady habits help both the elder and the caregiver.
Everyday care that helps
- Keep their dignity. Ask, do not decide for them. Let them do what they can for themselves.
- Stay connected. Short daily conversations, shared meals and visits from grandchildren reduce loneliness.
- Keep the body active. Gentle walks, stretching and daily tasks help strength and mood.
- Make the home safer. Good lighting, a clear path at night, and grab rails in the bathroom can prevent falls.
- Keep one simple record of doctors, appointments and medicines in one notebook, so the whole family knows.
- Listen to their stories. Memories and experience are a gift. Ask about them.
Changes to notice
Talk to a doctor if an elder becomes more forgetful in ways that affect daily life, seems low or withdrawn for weeks, stops eating well, has falls, or seems confused. Forgetfulness that disrupts daily life is not just “old age”, and it deserves a check-up.
Looking after yourself
Share the work among family members, accept help, and take short breaks. See Looking after yourself while caring for others.
Elderline 14567 is the Government of India’s toll-free National Helpline for Senior Citizens, run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It offers information, guidance and emotional support, and connects callers with services. Older people or their families can call it.