By Kerry Knight
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| Photo Credit: businesstocommunity.com |
No, I’m not going to preach a
sermon. We’ll leave that to the priests,
bishops, rabbis, deacons and other leaders of worship. But I do want to say a few things about taking
action instead of uttering a mere words.
Unfortunately, not all parents
deserve to wear the T-shirts that say, “World’s Greatest Dad,” or “World’s
Greatest Mom.” There is much variation
in the parenting skills among individuals.
Some do a great job of instilling good character, strong work ethics, a
passion for education, persistence to achieve, and a sense of patriotism and
civic-mindedness. On the other hand,
many should never have become parents in the first place. Thankfully, this number is in the minority.
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| Photo Credit: pamelaleefisher.blogspot.com |
During the Thanksgiving holiday, let
me suggest a few ways you might genuinely show your appreciation to your
parents. H. Jackson Brown wrote, “Twenty
years from now you’ll be more disappointed in the things you didn’t do than the
ones you did do.” Don't that statement pertain to your relationship with your parents and other loved ones.
As our parents age, giving them
our time might be the most precious gift of all. As parents reach their golden years, personal companionship
with loved ones and friends becomes vitally important. This is especially true if one parent has
lost their mate. Children and
grandchildren may be their only family left.
Many grown children are content to send their parents’ money, pay for
their assisted living home, or pay someone else to spend time with their senior
parents. But is this really what they
need? Their golden years can be awfully
lonely. Instead of calling your parents
on the phone to say, “I love you,” why not make a surprise visit, for no
reason, except to show them how much you care.
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| Photo Credit: boomerserrandservice.com |
Take your parents to one of their
favorite places. Maybe it’s a restaurant
offering their favorite menu items, or shopping at the local mall. Yes, it may be inconvenient and
difficult. They may have to be helped
into the automobile. They might require
you to help them with their walker or even their wheelchair. Or maybe there's a favorite activity you can share, such as playing cards, making music, cooking, playing with their grandchildren, etc. Sure, it might be time consuming and a slow
ordeal for you, but what is it worth to them?
Mark Twain once said, “Action speaks louder than words, but not nearly
as often.”
Reminisce with them about the
past. Many seniors spend a lot of time
thinking about the past. That’s where
their world is. The present may be too
painful for them to contemplate, and the future uncertain. Memory can be a wonderful thing. If their mind is still sharp, they may
surprise you with what they can recall.
Strangely enough, even with dementia, many seniors can recall details of
the past that will astound you. Why not
pull down some old photo albums and recreate some special memories with
them. It will take your time, but think
about what you are doing for them. “The
pleasure of remembering has been taken from me, because there was no one left
to remember with,” writes John Green. Don’t let this describe the situation
with your parent(s).
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| Photo Credit: sociologyinfocus.com |
Invite them over for the
holidays. Nothing is worse than spending
the holidays with strangers or worse yet, alone. If your parents don’t live with you, you
should invite them to your home for important holidays, such as Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Chanukah, New Years, etc. Take them shopping to buy gifts during the
giving season. The budget is not
important, it’s the activity itself.
What a great way to say, “I love you,” in deeds not words. Having mom or
dad to sit around the fireplace with grown children, kids, grandkids, and other
close family members are priceless. They
will feel loved. Having somewhere to go
is a home away from home. Having someone
to love is family. Having both is a true
blessing.
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| Photo Credit: crunchyworld.com |
If you’re buying a gift for your
parents, purchase something that really makes a statement about how much you
care about them and their well-being. I’m
not talking about a shawl, fruitcake, a pair of pajamas or even a tablet. How about something that will give them a
better quality of life? For example, my own mother
has fallen many times. Each time makes her
weaker and more susceptible to falling again.
Statistics show that falls can cause serious head trauma, especially in seniors,
and maybe even death.
Two of the
greatest innovations to come along in recent years to create a safer
environment for seniors, especially in the dangerous bathroom area, are Walk-in
Tubs and the Safety Shower Suites. Each
system has specific safety and ergonomic features designed for seniors and
those who may have mobility issues.
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| Photo Credit: tubking.com |
Importantly, both the Walk-in Tub
and Safety Suite Showers allow your beloved senior to bathe without
assistance. Each state-of-the-art
product is specifically designed for easy access and egress, so your parent can
feel secure as they enter and exist their bathing area. Both products are specifically designed for
safety by providing grab bars at strategically located areas to facilitate
movement inside the bathing environment.
Both have special, non-slip surfaces. The Walk-in tub has a non-slip
seat and the Safety Suite Shower has a variety of different non-slip seating
configurations you can choose from. Our
new Safety Suite Showers can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and makes it easy
for those with less mobility to get in and out of the shower.
For additional information about
Walk-in Tubs, check out some of our previous blogs, including: “There’s
Never Been a Better Time to Buy a Walk-in Tub,” “The
Number One Question Asked About Walk-in Tubs,” and others.
For more information about out
new Safety Suite Showers, read “What’s
New in Showers? Sophistication Today, Safety Tomorrow.”
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| Photo Credit: corbisimages.com |
Tub King’s Walk-in Tubs and
Safety Suite Showers both have proven to help seniors in so many
ways. Wouldn’t this be a perfect way to
show your love and appreciation to your parents? Family is not just about saying, “I love
you,” it’s about who is willing to hold someone's hand when they need it the most.
In this article, I mentioned
several different ways you can show your aging parents how much you care and
appreciate them, including the gift of a safe bathroom and bathing experience. Ensuring they’re safe and can still maintain
dignity and privacy while bathing themselves is one way to do it. Walk-in Tubs
and Safety Shower Suites are the perfect gifts to show your parent(s) they’re
foremost in your heart.
If you found this article useful,
please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment
related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog. Thanks
again for visiting with us.
Walk-in Tub Door Sizes & Designs
If you’d like to receive a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’ Guide, click
here. Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or
email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get back to you.
It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you.
On behalf of all of us at Tub King,
here’s wishing you, your parents, and all your loved ones a very Happy
Thanksgiving.
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| Check Out Our End-of-Year Sale on Walk-in Tubs. Click Here. |
Alan and Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville,
Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and
senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products,
they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award”
four years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800)
843-4231; or send an email to Alan@tubking.com.
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