Veteran’s Care
You’ve known your father your entire life. He served in the United States military, but long before you came along. You heard stories about his service, had the opportunity to meet some of the friends he made while in service, and felt proud of what he had accomplished.
He was always there for you when you were growing up. Even as a young adult, no matter what type of mistake you made, he was always somebody you could count on for emotional or even financial support to lift you back up. As he’s gotten older, ever since your mother passed away, you’ve noticed him struggling with certain things.
You try to be there for him to minimize his struggles, but your time is limited. You may assume he doesn’t really mean much extra help. Doing the laundry once a week, helping him get some meals prepared, and even taking him shopping every so often may seem to be all he needs.
Are you listening to him?
You may assume that’s all he needs, but what you need to ask yourself right now is whether he needs something else as well. Far too often when we have a lot going on in our life and are incredibly busy, we have a tendency to gloss over some challenges that our loved ones face.
What are some of the challenges your veteran father is facing at the moment? Is he having difficulty getting out of bed? Do you notice him struggling to get out of the chair or walk down the hall? Does he seem unsteady on his feet?
If he is, just imagine all the other things he could be struggling with when you’re not around. There may be a lot of things he can no longer do. Does he seem lonely? Does he talk about friends or things he did in the past with a sense of longing?
That could be his way of trying to tell you he would love the opportunity to spend more time with you, his grandchildren, or even other friends.
A home care aide might be able to provide the kind of support he needs when you’re not there. Is he asking for extra help?
If you’re not truly listening to what he has to say, try it the next time you sit down and visit with him. Ask him what things he would love to do, if you only have a little bit of extra help. You might discover that a home care aide could be extremely beneficial for him at this juncture in his life.
For more information and to learn about veteran’s care, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
