When your parents get older, they begin to reach a stage where they need you rather than the other way around. After decades of being the one relied on (and also being independent), transitioning into a future where you need the help and support of your family again can be daunting. Regardless of whether they need health support, emotional support, or guidance or any kind, this guide will allow you to better help your parents manage the transition into retirement:
1. Help them with Their Health
Even if you don’t have to care for your parents directly it is always important to know their health needs, so have a long discussion with your parents early on. In this discussion outline plans on what to do if their health deteriorates or if they need more accessible amenities. Having a plan can make everything calmer, even if your parent starts needing additional tools like a mobility scooter.
Tip: When there are additional tools, like mobility scooters, always know where you can get spare and replacement parts. Having a few essentials, like mobility scooter motors, can ensure that your parent or parents have minimal downtime and maintain as much independence as possible.
2. Help Them Prepare Their Finances
Preparing finances can be a huge struggle, even if your parents have been saving for retirement. To start you need to understand their current financial situation and savings. If they need more than what they would bring in during retirement, then workshop ideas. A great one, for example, is to rent out their current home and find a cheaper, smaller apartment. You may find that the rent from their old property can completely cover their rent and then some, which helps them live far more flexibly and comfortably.
3. Build a New Routine
Now is the best moment to spend more time with your parents, so start up a new routine. You can go over to their home once a week, have them over to yours, go on walks, and so on. By consistently seeing them you can make it feel easy, even if they live a relative distance away.
4. Know They May Struggle Socially
One of the common complaints about retirement is that it is lonely. For many a lot of their socialization comes from the workplace, which means that a huge portion of their socialization will stop once they retire. Add in the fact that the friends of newly retired professionals are often still working, and you can start to see an isolation issue.
A good way to help your parents through this hurdle is to help them find societies, workshops, activities and groups to join. There are so many out there, with active retired populations.
Don’t just look at clubs, either. Now is the perfect time to learn new things and experience new places.
It can be difficult when your parent doesn’t seem to take their independence with them once they retire. There are many reasons why they may and will need your support, and so long as you listen to them and work through their problems together you can move forward as a family.