You Can Take Care Of Your Parents — Even When You Don’t Live With Them

The pandemic has brought with it a plethora of changes in our lives. While it is absolutely a much-needed step to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, it is also something that has suddenly brought our daily life to a standstill, wherein a lot of things are at stake. There’s a surge in stress related to the job, finance, mental health, and so much more.

Amid this crisis, another thing that has become a matter of concern is the well-being of our parents, especially when we are living away from them. With elderly people being more at risk of contracting coronavirus infection, it’s imperative that our parents follow the social distancing religiously and don’t step out of their houses unless it is urgent. Needless to say, we feel helpless that we can’t take the next flight to go to them and take care of them. But the good news is, even while staying afar, we can make sure that they are doing fine and all their essential needs are properly met.

Here are 6 important tips to take care of your parents when you’re not with them —

Get their health updates every day

Nothing brightens up our parents’ day than seeing us healthy and happy even from a distance. It’s quite the same for us as well. So, video call your parents often, at least once every day and ask them about their health and daily routines. In case they are experiencing any symptoms, connect them with a doctor online and get the medicines delivered to them for any health concern.

Talk to them about their food habits

What we eat is extremely important but due to scarcity of certain food items, many people tend to eat not-so-healthy food items just for the sake of eating. Make sure your parents have adequate stock of all essential grocery items as well as vegetables. In case your parents need a personalized diet plan for maintaining their weight, diabetes, or any other condition, it is always better to connect them with a dietitian online. A dietitian can also help them plan and prepare some dishes out of limited ingredients during this phase of uncertainty.

Talk about hygiene

During this challenging time, it is absolutely essential to maintain good hygiene and practice the best sanitizing guidelines. Make sure your parents are keeping the house clean. Give them a call and advise them on the right ways to clean common touchpoints and surfaces using alcohol-based disinfectants. Tell them to wash their hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Make sure they are washing the vegetables before cooking too.

Advise them against a sedentary lifestyle

Going out for a walk or jog or hitting the gym isn’t a very good idea at the moment. But that’s no excuse to lead a sedentary life. Talk to your parents and tell them to stay as active as possible. They can briskly walk on the terrace or inside the house and do some indoor exercises. Yoga is another activity they can indulge in, for which online tutorials are available. In case your parents have any chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension or arthritis, you can connect them with a doctor online first to know which exercises they can opt for, before sharing any workout videos.

Help them deal with loneliness

As our parents get old, they are engulfed by loneliness as the house looks empty and there’s not much to do. Being at home can intensify this feeling further because now they can’t even step out of the house. You can make a change here by encouraging your parents to indulge in hobbies they must have harboured for life and couldn’t pay attention to because they were indulged in family needs. It could be writing, painting, playing a musical instrument, or simply reading — whatever it is, motivate them to pursue it. In case you feel they are too engulfed by depressing thoughts or feeling anxious about everything, make them speak to a psychologist online since an expert can always help in such scenarios.

Make sure they are taking their medicines on time

It is important that they have any regular prescription medicines stocked up for a month so that they do not have to step out to buy them. Get their medicines delivered to them through online orders and make sure they are taking them on time without missing a dose. The MFine App ensures they are timely reminded to take their medicines.

Let your parents know every day that you are there for them and they are loved. Just like children, our parents too need this reminder that they can always count on us. This period is not easy for anyone, and the irony is that, to beat this situation we need to stick together, by staying apart.

If you have any health concerns for yourself or your family, you can now speak to top doctors online on our platform. You can also take the free COVID-19 self-assessment to know your risk of contracting coronavirus infection. In case you’re experiencing symptoms like sore throat, cough, fever, or breathing difficulty, get your symptoms assessed by top doctors on your phone on the MFine app.