Two generations ago, grandparents lived with their children and grandchildren. The little ones would see the full range and scope of their lives play out in front of their eyes and learn to respect old age. Today however, many children do not live with their grandparents, nor do they see all the little things that make up their lives with the result that they do not know how to treat their grandparents. They often end up making rude comments, or even unwittingly being cruel simply because they do not understand. Here’s how to make that better:

They are NOT Children

Thanks to their age and frailty, most old people find it difficult to manage anything on their own resulting in behaviour that is almost infantile. They will soil their beds, they will drop things and they will dribble their food. Here’s where it is different: they are not children. In fact, they are fully grown, experienced adults trapped in bodies that increasingly don’t work the way they want it to. However, many grandkids will laugh or complain about their grandparents antics, often to their face, because they do not understand that the same thing will happen to them someday.

They Require Special Care

No matter how strong their minds are, they will require special care. This means having to sacrifice a certain number of hours every day from your schedule. It means being patient with them while they take an age in the toilet. It means waiting for them to collect their thoughts before speaking. It means arranging for respite care Kew if you are going on holiday and you cannot take them with you. Even the physical layout of your house might have to change. Houses with old people often have safety railings on walls and rubber mats on the floors where it can be particularly slippery. These are things you will need to adjust to.

Knowing Your Limits

Plenty of young ones treat the elderly as if they are stupid because they don’t get it. Old people love living in their memories and frequently refuse to be a part of the brave new world. For grandkids who try to teach them, it can end in disaster. So it is about knowing your limits and knowing when to let go. Some of your grandparents might need the kind of specialized care that only a full-time nurse can provide and then its time to think of aged care facilities. If that involves a home, then its up to family and friends to keep up a steady stream of visitors to stimulate conversation and brain activity.

Thus, children can learn a lot from being around their grandparents but mostly they learn respect. This can take the form of helping them physically or being kind and patient with them. Either way, the elderly are not a group to be tossed away lightly.

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