How to help your parents while they self isolate | Outdoor Family Photography in Loughborough
So my lovely parents fall into the “vulnerable” category and are now required to self isolate.
Thankfully, they’re being sensible and taking the advice with good grace, but I am concerned that once the initial good intentions have worn off that their mental health may begin to suffer.
I know that my mum loves popping into town and that meeting her friends for coffee is extremely important to her, so whilst she has lots of little projects that she intends to potter away at I suspect that at some point cabin fever will start to creep in. Not only this; my Dad isn’t great at entertaining himself at the best of times but now that there is NO SPORT to watch he really is left with very little to do outside of his household chores.
So, I’ve been thinking what can we (their families) do to help?
The first priority is to check that they are well stocked up - STOP! I’m not saying rush out and panic buy…I am saying do they have the medication that they need? You can now order prescriptions online and get them delivered - can you help them to register?
Do they have enough groceries for the next couple of weeks while they get registered for online shopping (if they aren’t already) and show them how to use it?
How are they going to get their shopping? A number of local shops are offering to deliver for free to vulnerable people - check your local facebook pages for any shops doing similar and pass the phone number on to those who need it (remember they are unlikely to be on social media). Bradleys in Rothley (0116 230 2113) and Quorn (01509 414110) are offering this service as are Markfield Village Store on Chitterman Way (07956) 033104.
Do they have any commitments that they need to contact? Do they care for anyone else or volunteer for any groups who will need to make different arrangements.
Do they need help with any pets? Does the dog need walking?
Can you help them with technology? Perhaps they can still meet their friends for coffee but they will be doing it via Skype or facetime. Do they need any help to get it set up?
Do they know how to use Amazon? This could be where they get their entertainment from!
Do they need any cash getting? Whilst they may not be going out to spend, they may want a bit of cash to pay the window cleaner/gardener etc. Also, can you help to set up any direct debits/online banking - their finances will need to be as automated as possible.
Do you need to take the car out for a run every so often - a lot of people view their cars as a lifeline so knowing that it is running well and doesn’t have flat battery will be one less worry.
Once the practicalities are out of the way we should think about activities…
We need to stay in regular contact with them - there is a real risk that they will be watching the news regularly which is no good for anyone. By Skype-ing or picking up the phone, they will have something to look forward to each day. Get the children in front of the camera - my 2 can talk for Britain once they think they’ve got a captive audience!
Are they active? Pop some seeds round to them. It will give them a project to focus on, they can grow salad and veg quite easily indoors if they don’t have access to a garden, or if they do it will give them much needed exercise and fresh air. You may need to get them some pots and compost but this can all be left outside their house for them to bring in.
Can you set them on with a project? Have they got lots of photos on their phones/digital cameras? Set them the challenge of getting the photos backed up and then ordering some photo books - there are loads of companies that create beautiful coffee table books such as Photobox and DSCL.
Have you got any box sets or books that you can give to them? - I’m not sure my parents would be massively into Breaking Bad but we do have loads of DVDs like Peter Kay and Planet Earth that will help them to kill a few hours.
Can you set up a magazine subscription? or pop some sudoku/crossword books through the door? Something to keep them busy.
Is there anything happening online that they can benefit from? My lovely friend Sharon at Wellbeing4life runs laughter yoga classes which she is taking online - what a great way to banish the blues! There are also plenty of online exercise and yoga classes that they can subscribe to.
How about getting the children to paint a happy picture or to write a letter and popping it through the door? Guaranteed to raise a smile.
I’ve literally just thrown a few ideas around there so please feel free to add any others in the comments below.
At the minute the children are still at school but I suspect it won’t be for long! So I’ll be thinking about home schooling next (yikes!)
Take care and I’ll speak to you soon, Julie.x
