An Iowa high school gained national attention when they released the details of a new program.
“Gym,” has long been a high school requirement that some students love and others dread. In lieu of a traditional gym class, students are allowed to opt-out and instead sign up to help disabled or elderly people in their community.
The students have to do a physical task like mow the lawn, weed gardens, rake leaves, or chop firewood. As they help out, a form is signed to prove the student showed up and did the work. In exchange for that, the student gets the required credits needed to pass gym.
What Else Will Your Parents Need Help With?
Many senior citizens do struggle with physical chores like chopping wood, raking, and mowing. Mobility issues and diminishing upper body strength play a part in it. It’s a great exercise for your parents, but you don’t want them to over-exert and get hurt.
You may find them struggling with indoor tasks, too. Getting down on their hands and knees to scrub the bathtub may be difficult. As a result, they end up doing a lighter cleaning. That’s not enough and you’re noticing soap scum and dirt building up. It’s unsanitary. Urine dribbles that spill down the side and around the base of the toilet could be another area your parents are missing.
Are your parents keeping their refrigerator and freezer clean? How often do they clear out spoiled foods? You don’t want them eating something that’s past date. You also don’t want mold spores getting on foods they’ve just purchased.
Vacuuming, dusting, and mopping floors are all chores your parents need to complete. They may not be doing as thorough a job as they used to. If that’s the case, they’ll need help from either you or a professional caregiver.
A Helping Hand Means A Lot
Even if you can help your mom and dad with these tasks, what are you pushing aside to get things done? If you have your own yard to mow and house to clean, it can be exhausting doing the same chores for two homes. A local teen might be able to help out and get gym credits. It’s worth asking.
Have you thought about hiring caregivers? They can do indoor chores like laundry, light cleaning, and meal preparation. With the time you save, you’ll be able to spend quality time with your mom and dad. Call an agency to find out more about caregivers.
