How Often Should You Call Your Elderly Parents?

When it comes to talking to your elderly parents, the number one rule of thumb is to keep communication open and regular. “It’s important for people to stay connected with their elderly parents and grandparents, especially if those relationships are strong” says Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University.

If talk becomes sporadic or rare, it can create anxiety and uncertainty about their well-being. In addition to these tips, it’s always a good idea to have an open dialogue with your elderly parents about their health and well-being. This is a great opportunity to ask questions like How are you feeling? What s the latest you’ve been doing? What s your goal for the next month? What helpful things have you done lately? What do you wish you d done differently?

Older adults often feel a sense of guilt and shame about their physical decline. So, they tuck away the information in their mind and only share it with family members. What is your plan to make sure that you are going to be able to take care of yourself?

Your parent’s safety is always the number one priority. If you notice that they’re feeling uncomfortable or if they’re suddenly not in good health, it’s important to respond quickly.

How Often Should You Call Your Elderly Parents

Elders need frequent check-ins to ensure they’re taking their medications and adjusting to any changes in their environment.

Elders need to have frequent check-ins with their doctors to ensure they are taking their medications and adjusting to any changes. Without regular check-ins, elders can fall behind on their medication schedules or fail to report adverse reactions to their medications. Additionally, elders may not be able to accurately remember how much medication they’ve taken or when they last took it. This can lead to dangerous situations where elders take too much medication or don’t take enough.

How often should you call your elderly parents?

How often should you call your elderly parents? That’s a question that doesn’t have a definitive answer, as the best course of action will vary depending on the parent’s health and lifestyle. However, many experts agree that calling at least once a week is a good rule of thumb.

If your parents are healthy and living independently, weekly calls will give you peace of mind while also allowing them some independence. If they’re not doing well, or if they need more help than they’re able to manage on their own, you’ll be able to tell from your conversations and can then take appropriate action.

Even if your parents don’t live nearby, it’s important to stay in touch. Technology makes it easy to connect via Skype, FaceTime, or even just a good old-fashioned phone call.

Benefits of frequent communication with elderly parents

Older parents often feel isolated and ignored as their children become busier with work, families, and their own lives. However, spending time talking with elderly parents can provide a wealth of benefits for both parties.

For one, older parents appreciate the chance to share memories and experiences from their life. Furthermore, they often feel loved and valued when their children take the time to chat with them. In turn, children can learn about their parents’ lives, gain important insights about aging, and develop closer relationships.

Communication is especially important as older parents face health challenges. Regular conversations can help children be more prepared to provide support if needed and ensure that their parent’s wishes are carried out. By staying in touch, both the elderly parents and their children stand to reap many rewards.

Tips for staying connected with elderly parents

When older adults move out of the family home and into a retirement community, assisted living facility, or nursing home, it can be difficult for their children to stay connected. Here are a few tips for staying in touch:

1) Make a point to call your parents regularly, even if they don’t always have much to say. Just hearing your voice can be comforting.

2) If your parents are able, send them regular email updates or photos of what’s going on in your life.

3) Visit them as often as possible. Even if they can’t get out and about very much, just sitting and talking with them will make them feel loved and supported.

4) If there’s an event or holiday coming up that your parents will be celebrating, plan to call or Skype with them on that day.

What to talk about when you call

A lot of people feel uncomfortable when they have to make a phone call. They don’t know what to talk about. This article will give you some ideas of things to talk about when you make a phone call.

1) Ask them how they are feeling. For example, if you’re calling your mom on her birthday, this is a good time to ask how she’s doing on that day of the year. Ask them about their day and how they’re feeling. If you notice that your mom’s voice sounds a bit hoarse or if her eyes are red, she might need some extra TLC.

2) Ask about their weekend. If you’re about to call your mom on the weekend, ask them what they did over the last few days. For example, if she’s been out of town for the weekend, ask them where they’ve been and what they did. This will help you get a better understanding of her life and how she actually spends her time when she’s not with you.

3) Ask about their week. If you’re about to call your mom on a weekday, ask them how their week went. How did they spend the time? What did they do? Ask them what was going on with their friends and family. This will help you get a better understanding of her real life and how she actually spends her time when she’s not with you.

What to do if they don’t answer your call

If you are trying to get ahold of an elderly parent or another loved one and they don’t answer, there are some things you can do to try and reach them. First, try calling them at a different time of day. Oftentimes, elderly people will be more active in the morning or evening. If that doesn’t work, call them from a different phone. If they have a landline, try calling from your cell phone. And finally, if you’ve tried both of those things and still can’t get through, you can reach out to their friends or neighbors to see if they’ve seen or heard from them recently.

Conclusion: Check in as often as possible, but know that even if you can’t talk to them daily, they’ll appreciate your love and support.

In conclusion, while there is no definitive answer to the question of how often to call your elderly parents, it is important to keep in mind that they may appreciate regular contact, especially if they live far away. You also want to be mindful of their health and capability to handle long conversations. So, call your parents often enough that they know you’re thinking of them, but not so often that it becomes a burden.

1 thought on “How Often Should You Call Your Elderly Parents?”

  1. Thanks for the fabulous tips, they really touch my heart.
    I’m elderly father, I have 5 children, two boys and three daughters and their ages between (19 -35) two doctors and two engineers and one in University. Unfortunately I there is a big gab in our communication. My daughter lives in Canada had more than 7 years to communicate with me. Others rarely (3 to 6 months ) call me.
    I’m very upset and your advice is highly appreciated.

    Reply

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