Lisa O
Caring for your old parents is no doubt a challenging task. Many adult children are often caught between wanting to stay close to their parents and the stress of caregiving duties. However, living with elderly parents provides many advantages that surpass any potential drawbacks. Here are 15 benefits of living with elderly parents.
Learn from Your Elders
Spending more quality time together as a family brings another closely related benefit. Our elders have a wealth of wisdom to share, especially with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Teaching children the importance of caring for older loved ones is another beneficial lesson that will bring further rewards for you and your entire family in the future.
Strengthen Family Bonds
Many people link today’s issues to the breakdown of the family unit. A multi-generational home helps bring family connections back, highlighting the role of close relatives in supporting each other and letting everyone feel what it’s like to be part of something bigger. Living like a joint family means you always have everyone around to support you.
More Quality Family Time
The most obvious benefit of having your parents live with you is the chance to see them often and spend more time together as a family. It also lets your children interact and bond with their grandparents. And spending time with their grandkids is your parent’s favorite activity, no matter how much your kids bother them.
Share the Load
Medical advances and longer lifespans are giving us more active seniors who want to engage more, not less, during retirement. Having your older parents around can make life easier if they’re able to help with tasks like cooking meals and doing laundry. Many grandparents also provide child care and help transport grandkids to school and activities, which is a tremendous support for busy parents.
Save Some Cash
Living with older parents is a great way to save money. Some adult children support their parents financially, while others get a bit of help from their parents. Whatever the case—combining resources can really save on things like rent or mortgage, utilities, and insurance. Maybe you can buy something you like for your parents with all that saved money.
Deepen Your Connection
Whether you’ve shared a close relationship throughout your life or hope to build a stronger bond in your parent’s later years, living together provides that chance. If your elderly parent needs support, you can give back some of what they have given you over the years and grow or rebuild trust.
Worry Less About Parents
Seeing your parents regularly can ease worries for adult children. Acting as a sort of surveillance system helps you spot problems before they start or become bigger issues. Just think about living abroad and not knowing if your parents are sick. You could hire a caregiver, but they won’t take care of them like you would.
Enjoy Each Other’s Company
Older adults living alone or feeling isolated are more likely to experience depression. One way to help prevent this is by building a strong social network, which comes more naturally when aging parents live with an adult child or in a multi-generational home. Having more activity around the house keeps senior loved ones mentally engaged. Plus, companionship goes both ways—aging parents can be great company for adult children and grandkids.
Find Purpose in Caregiving
Studies show that people who help others are generally happier. Whether your aging parent needs a bit of help or a lot, being a caregiver can really give you a sense of purpose. Sometimes, older adults end up helping their adult child more than they’re getting help themselves. This also gives the senior a nice boost in purpose, which a lot of folks miss during retirement.
Keep a Close Eye on Things
Adult children are often taken aback by the changes in their aging parents when they don’t see them often. Those who only catch up a few times a year during holidays might miss warning signs that could help them step in before issues escalate. By living with or near older parents, you can keep a closer watch on them and spot potential problems before they turn into major issues.
Protect Against Scams
Due to physical or cognitive limitations, aging parents can be especially vulnerable to financial fraud and exploitation. They may struggle a lot to understand modern technology, making them more prone to scams. It’s very crucial to protect their rights and safety, and it’s much easier to do that when you live with them.
Comfort of Familiar Spaces
Familiar surroundings help people deal with stress and keep a positive outlook on life. Being in a familiar place is super important for seniors because it gives them a sense of security and stability. This can be very helpful for people dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Plus, it can help ward off depression and loneliness in older adults.
Easier Access to Care
There are plenty of benefits to having your aging parents close by, but perhaps the biggest one is that it makes care more convenient. It really simplifies life for everyone involved and often improves both the mental and physical health of your loved one. As life expectancy for older people continues to rise, many families are aging together—with retired Baby Boomers still taking care of their elderly parents.
Boost Health and Happiness
Seniors can really thrive with a healthier lifestyle that includes munching on good meals regularly, staying active, and keeping an eye on their health. All this usually gets a boost in multi-generational households. These activities help keep elderly parents moving and lower the chances of chronic illnesses. You can create a space where older folks can stay active for a long time.
Always Have Help Nearby
As we grow older, our bodies change and may struggle with things like walking up stairs or climbing ladders. So what do we do when we need a little help? We call up friends, family, and neighbors to come by and give us a hand. The closer you are to your aging parents, the easier it is to care for them. It’s as simple as that.