There will come a time when Mom will feel the tiredness more frequently or Papa will drop the glass of water most of the time during dinner time and even when we deny the thought of them needing advanced assistance than what we can give because it is sad making a separation line between them, we will soon learn to come to the sense of setting them free. It is difficult at first, accepting the fact that our beloved parents are aging and their time with our children will soon be limited due to senior care that needs to be given to them. Because of the sadness, we pull the best efforts we can do to juggle things. We wake up, make sure the dear elderlies have already eaten before rushing to get the kids to school and preparing an apology spiel to your boss because of the third time this week, you are late again.
In the middle of work, you will receive a call from the nanny you have hired saying that Mom was irritated and crying out for Isabel, which was your long lost Auntie. Instead of feeling the immediate response to get home, the saddening fact that Mom’s aging has taken a more serious step forward filled your mind first. You finished the rest of the office work in a rush, picked up the kids, and went home to chaos of Dad breaking all the furniture because of uncontrolled anger for something that the nanny has not done right away and to the image of your Mom sleeping after knowing she missed her sister. Besides the stress of the workload you just had, the picture once you got home brought you much sorrow.
Then you came to the thought that letting them go for senior living management is inevitable. You suddenly realized that two separate worlds at this point is completely normal and should be done for the better of the people concerned in the circle. You came to a decision that it will be better if you can send your elderly parents to senior living management and it will be a win-win situation since stress on your end will also be reduced, and the salary you are providing to the nanny can be used in different ways instead. Instantly the next day, you made an appointment through Options for Senior Living to find the best community handling senior living management near your place and what came next was pure paradise for both sides.
The Benefits To You, Yes You!
It is Monday morning and you wake up to the sound of the alarm and not the scream of Mom finding her eyeglasses. For a moment, you panicked when you did not hear Mom’s voice. But while blinking the sleepiness away, you suddenly realized that Mom and Dad are now in a senior community that will manage their maintenance through assisted living. You sighed with relief and went downstairs where the food is already provided by your trusted nanny which is humming an early 90’s song without being scolded by Dad who hates that song.
The kids busted out in their uniforms since the nanny had her attention focused on them, and all you have to do is dig into the delicious bacon and egg while watching the birds chirp outside the window. Everything seemed to sail surprisingly smoothly than the chaotic mornings you have been used to. You had more time talking to the kids while on the ride to school and you heard new names you know they have been mentioning for the past weeks and this time you did not forget to kiss them goodbye. You went to work early, and this amazed your boss who gave you a nod with a smile. The whole shift went without any emergency calls, and the day ended with enhanced productivity. “What an improvement!”, you thought. You went home and had a sleep without any worries.
On Tuesday, the same scenario of convenient mornings, vibrant shift, and energetic night continued. A friend you have not spoken to for months called and invited you for dinner on Wednesday night. You had fun with the kids after school at Dave and Buster’s on Thursday night because of their achievement at school and you found yourself booking a restaurant reservation for a night out with your partner. The first week went perfectly well but missing your parents is also one emotion you will soon come to agree on terms with so on Saturday, you decided to visit them together with the kids and you were surprised on what you saw.
The Benefits to Them, Your Senior Parents
The friendliest staff welcomed you and guided you to your parents’ room, but surprisingly they were not there in the early morning. You found them in the garden, painting a blooming tulip together with other seniors while they are being assisted by happy staffs. You saw the smiles in their faces and when they turned their heads to you, their eyes sparkled with excitement. The kids approached them and gave them a hug and what you saw were energetic seniors with vibrant smiles and peals of laughter.
Soon they began talking to you about their new found love which was painting. Moreover, a caregiver sat down with you and also talked about the activities they are having such as ensuring healthy diets for your parents and activities that will promote camaraderie and reduce stress. The next day, you visited them again and had a more talk where Isabel is no longer mentioned and the sound of breaking glasses was replaced by stories of excitement and laughter only.
You bid them a happy goodbye and they smiled in return, excited to get back to the other seniors for some chatting. You went back to the fear of being separated to them only to realize that by keeping them despite hardship, you are caging two birds from the freedom they deserve.
Let two lives soar, more happiness is about to come. “This is just the first week,” you said to yourself.