How to Help Out Your Grandparents

The Cultural Atlas says that filial piety is a huge part of Filipino culture, with strong bonds being formed not only within the nuclear family but also with extended family as well. Thus, you’ll see grandchildren building strong relationships with their grandparents, who often become second parents to them. As you get older, it’s important to pay back all the love and care your grandparents have shown you, and one way to do that is by helping them out in their daily lives. Here’s a short list of things you can do to make your lolo and lola‘s lives easier.

Helping Them Out

According to a study by researchers from Boston College, close relationships between grandparents and grandchildren can lead to lower rates of depression in both groups. Make the time you spend together with your grandparents productive by helping them out with their daily chores, which can often get difficult to do due to their advanced age. You can opt to help them clean out their bodega, or help them organize old albums. This way, you can help make their lives easier, and learn a little bit about your family history as well.

Offer to Do Some Errands

Getting around for senior citizens can often be something of a production, and usually takes a lot of energy and time. Help your grandparents out by offering to do some of their other errands for them, whether it’s picking up their maintenance medicines or buying groceries for them. It’s often easy to underestimate just how much effort these activities can take, so going out of your way to do them means a lot to your grandparents.

Organize Their Papers

Your grandparents often have to deal with a lot of government and health forms at their age, and this can get overwhelming after a while. Help them out by sitting down with them and organizing what needs to be filed and when and where. This can be dry work, so having a bit of company will mean a lot to your grandparents. It’s also helpful to keep updated on the news when it comes to their government pension and senior citizen benefits. For example, the SSS recently expanded access to pension loans, and this might be helpful information for your lolo or lola.

Help Them Pick the Right Plan

With hospitalization costs rising in the Philippines, your grandparents might have to grapple with the financial and mental burden that comes with paying bills. Help them avoid the stress by signing them up for an insurance plan that’s tailored for their demographic. If you aren’t sure where to start, Paramount Direct has a guide for its Premium HealthCare Plus Plan that will answer any of your questions. It’s written specifically for seniors who may undergo long hospitalizations, and includes comprehensive information on what to look for when choosing a plan. Paramount’s Premium HealthCare Plus Plan has a daily cash benefit and daily convalescence benefit that covers up to 365 days per illness, per confinement, which means your grandparents don’t have to worry about the high costs of hospital bills. With guaranteed acceptance and coverage in the Philippines and around the world, your grandparents can rest assured they’ll have a worry-free recovery.

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