If you live close to your elderly parents or grandparents, you might have a lot of experience being around and working with senior citizens. But for those who don’t have this luxury, you might find that you don’t know what to say or do when you’re around older people. Despite this, it’s important that everyone within a community seeks to respect and serve one another in order for everyone to feel safe and have their needs met. So if this is something that you’re needing a little help with, here are three ways to show that you care about the elderly population in your community. 

Let Them Know You’re Thinking Of Them

For many older people, they aren’t able to see their friends or family members as much as they would like. Especially if they are living in an assisted living community, their friends who live outside of this facility might not keep in touch with them very well. This can cause a lot of elderly people to feel lonely.

Luckily, you can help to combat this loneliness in the elderly population. Even just the smallest thing that helps a senior citizen know that you’re thinking about them and reaching out can help them to feel better. If you already know of an elderly person in your area, get their address so you can send them a card or a little care package in the mail. If you don’t already have someone in mind, get in contact with the staff at a nursing home or other care facility and ask who you can send a note to or visit with. 

Be Friendly And Helpful In Stores

When you’re out and about, there’s a good chance that you’ll run into some eldery people who are also out shopping. And although you might be busy or nervous, being friendly when you do see older people can make their day.

In some instances, you might see an elderly person struggling to get something into their shopping cart, being shaky while crossing the road, or not understanding or being confused about something. If you do witness something like this, take just a moment to lend them a hand and be helpful. This could lead to a great conversation where you can listen to something they have to say to you and help them feel better. 

Bring Up Issues With Accessibility To Businesses

While you might be able to easily get around your city or the businesses you frequent there, older people and those with disability issues might struggle with these things. So if you notice that something that a store is doing would be hard for an elderly person to maneuver, consider bringing this to the attention of the business and seeing what can be done to address this potential accessibility problem. 

If you care about the elderly population in your area but don’t know how to best show your support, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see what can be done.