How to Support your Retired Relatives

How to Support your Retired Relatives

 If you have got elderly or retired relatives that still live at home, then you might be wondering how you can support them and help to make their lives easier and more fulfilling. Here at Rangeford Retirement villages, we can offer all of the support needed for them to live independently in their home, as part of a wider community.  

If your loved one lives alone or with another person who is less able bodied, there are plenty of things that you can do to support them and some of these are outlined below:

• Communicate with them – People often underestimate how lonely elderly people can feel when they are at home alone. When people are fresh into retirement, they can often feel a loss of purpose as they are used to working all of their lives. Call them, facetime them and visit them if you can. Talk to them about everyday life and just open up the lines of communication so you can ease any loneliness and give them things to talk about with others. A conversation really can spark a smile.

• Provide a helpline list for them – When people live alone, it is useful for them to have a list of numbers that they can call if they are struggling or need some additional help. Ensure that your own number is clear on there and they have the contact details for any other relatives close by who can help. If they are currently getting home care support, make sure the number for the care company is also clear.

• Help with their shopping – This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and do their shopping for them. But for elderly people it might be harder to physically go out and shop and the thought of ordering food and essentials online can often be daunting. You could organise their online food shop with them and help them with the delivery time. If it works for you, you could add some of their items onto your weekly shop and deliver them when you are visiting.

• Create a rota for visiting – We know that visiting elderly and retired relatives when you already have a demanding a busy life can be difficult. There could be other family and friends who can keep check on your loved one and a shared effort makes it easier for everybody involved. So why not create a rota and spread the responsibility?

• Get stuck in with the gardening – This is a lovely activity to do with them if they have outdoor space at home. Gardening is great for both physical and mental health and encouraging fresh air in the outdoors together can be really refreshing and enjoyable for you both.

• Help to keep their brain working – Try to encourage them to get involved in activities that will boost the brain activity. As mentioned before, if they are newly retired, they could be feeling withdrawal-type of symptoms and aren’t using their brain and skillset that they are used to using. Crosswords, puzzles, apps and websites can offer hours of entertainment to keep the brain active.

One great option to consider for your retired relatives is a retirement village.  A retirement village is a community for people generally over 60, centred around a hub of social activity. They offer older people the opportunity to live independently in a property they own, as part of a wider community. They are exciting, innovative and contemporary villages where residents can continue to live life to the full. Luxury retirement villages have a wide range of leisure activities, services, support and care and they promote well-being whilst helping the residents maintain an active and independent lifestyle. You can read about the numerous benefits fundamental to  maintaining your wellbeing at them

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Retirement villages have an integrated lifestyle and Rangeford Villages offer facilities like restaurants, bars, gyms, hairdressers, community halls, cinema and gardens. Residents are encouraged to get involved with as much or as little as they like but there are endless opportunities for residents to socialise with other residents of a similar age with shared interests. As we get older, friendships can be harder to find and difficult to maintain. Distance, health, families and several other factors can get in the way of sustaining true friendships. Moving into an integrated retirement community helps provide the residents with a ready-made supportive environment and helps to limit the consequences of being cut off from society.

We know that considering a move to a retirement village is a very personal one and a choice that has to feel right for you and your family. Our village sales advisors are always available at the end of the phone to discuss and talk through any questions you may have.