One of the best parts about summer holidays and Christmas is visiting gran, or gran visiting you. Most of us have fond childhood memories of holidays with Gran, having her spoil, feed, and take care of us too. Now that Gran is much older, she needs a bit of TLC & special care when she visits. In this post, we look at some simple, practical tips on how to plan & prepare for a visit from Gran, and some things to consider while she’s visiting.
It’s important to know what medicines Grandma is on. Get a list of her medicines, and make sure you will have enough medicines for the duration of her stay. You must know what she is taking, how much she must take when she must take it, and how she must take it. If Grandma has hearing aids, make sure you know how she uses them, and always have spare batteries on hand.
If your grandma has mobility issues, make sure you plan to have one or two people available to help to lift and move her safely. It’s a great idea to ask her regular carers for tips if you are not too confident. If gran uses a walking aid, make sure there is enough space for this and encourage her to use it. Gran should also not have too much alcohol. It may interfere with her medicines and will affect her ability to move or be moved safely. You certainly don’t want her to fall while at home with you. If your Grandma uses adult continence products, it’s a good idea to have extra on hand, especially over the holidays. Remember to respectfully supervise that gran is always safe in the bathroom.
Make Some Memories…
Enjoy the wonderful memories and stories that Granny has to share with you. These are available for a limited time only; make the most of each moment. Encourage your children to put their devices away for a bit and spend time with Gran. Tell Gran how much you love her and what she means to you. You don’t know how much this means to her. Ageism is a real problem. Never look down upon, argue with, laugh at, or scold an older person. We all value and respect our older people and must teach our children to do the same…
Enjoy your holidays and a Merry Christmas from all of us to you. And if Gran is there, it’s going to be all the more special too.
