Give Your Grandparents the Most in Their Golden Years
Let’s say it out loud: life is chaotic! Planning ahead and prudent time management can help, sometimes. Wherever you turn your head, everybody seems to work overtime, stress about things they can’t control, and run after their dreams, goals, or ambitions. When you take all that into consideration, it’s no wonder that spending time with your parents, grandparents, other older people you love, and people with specific needs in your family is usually nowhere to be seen among your priorities.
It’s true: this hectic way of living tends to leave little to no time to spare for anything that’s not a career goal or your immediate self-interest. Not to say that’s inherently a bad thing but, when you draw the line, all those superficial things don’t matter as much as genuine human connection and kindness, especially with those closest to you, right?
So, clear your calendar. It’s grandma and grandpa time! Crazy schedule as an excuse will take you only so far when it comes to those people who welcomed you with homemade meals and wonderful stories for every life occasion.
With BriteLift non-emergency medical transportation service nearby, you have a great chance of making their old age truly golden. Try to keep things in mind next time when you spend time with your favorite seniors:
Take Them out for a Walk
Whether it was around the block, through some of many Chicago parks or simply to the nearest grocery store, a little stroll goes a long way. The sad fact of life is that, as people age, they tend to move less and less. With every passing year, their bodies become less capable of enjoying the outdoors and doing regular chores.
They might avoid going because the danger is at every turn! Decreased mobility and fear of everything that could go wrong outside of their comfort zone usually kills the desire to move at all.
But if you offer to accompany them, the outside world won’t be such a threat but an exciting challenge! If they know that a helping hand is near, fear won’t have such a great hold on them. So, take your seniors out!
Pulling out a wheelchair or some other walking aid can be a hassle, but that is where services of BriteLift can be of use. Have the number 847-792-1212 on speed dial. You never know when you’ll need a Chicago non-emergency wheelchair van rental near you.
Talk to Them and Show Interest
If it’s a rainy day or, perhaps, too warm or too cold to go out, go back to basics and start a conversation. There are a few ways you can go about that:
- Inquire about their health, old and new aches, freshly prescribed medication, or a medical emergency or non-emergency that happened as of late (usually they can go on and on about these kinds of things, so it gives you a solid ground to talk about)
- Show interest in neighborhood gossip if that’s their thing
- Share some of your everyday struggles and ask for advice (if they did not already volunteer some)
- Talk to them about a topic you’ve been thinking about recently. You’d be surprised how insightful and fresh their comments can be
See? It’s so simple. The abovementioned pointers should give you a solid hour of conversation, maybe even more if they’re feeling chatty. Let them share their stories about their youth, those they loved and lost, their best achievements, and all the juicy mischiefs of the days long past, even if you heard them a million times before. They’ll be overjoyed because you took interest and actively listened.
Slow Down a Bit in Order to Catch Up!
The time spent with seniors doesn’t have to be boring. Let’s get rid of that stigma once and for all. With the right kind of approach, you’ll make the most of your time together without feeling bored. It can be a wonderful experience if you’re not grumpy about it from the get-go. You don’t have to accompany them to every doctor’s appointment, social outing or flight.
You have BriteLift’s assisted transportation options for those matters, after all. Sometimes a simple phone call will do. Offer to change that faulty light bulb, help out with gardening, or play a game of scrabble, exchanging experience along the way. You know more about smartphones and computers, they know more about life. Imagine what kind of fruitful conversations you’ll have!
It may seem like a huge inconvenience to replace some Netflix and chill, a coffee date or a casual hangout with your besties with lunch or the entire day with your grandparents, right? But, at the end of the day — it’s all about (smart) prioritizing.
Memories made with your family are much more precious than anything else you could think of. In a few years or decades, all those external things won’t matter at all, but the loving moments you spent with ones closest to you will be treasured greatly. So, make an honest effort today, and you won’t regret it!
