In today’s culture, technology is fairly ubiquitous. It seems that no matter where you look, someone is using a smartphone, tablet, or other form of technology, and it is often difficult to imagine a day without using technology. Too often, however, this becomes an issue, overtaking people’s lives and becoming a crutch. As a family caregiver, this can distance you from your elderly parent and your personal relationship with them.

March 3 through 4 is National Day of Unplugging. This is an opportunity for you to put your electronic devices aside and spend some time reconnecting with your aging parent without technology.

Observing National Day of Unplugging is also a fantastic way to bring a family-focused element into your care routine, integrating your children and your partner into your care for your aging loved one. Young adults, teenagers, and even children are accustomed to having access to and utilizing technology virtually all the time, which can make it harder for them to form and maintain close relationships with their family, particularly older members who are not as familiar with this technology-focused lifestyle. Unplugging from this technology encourages closer relationships and sets the stage for making memories with your entire family that you can treasure well into the future.

Unplugging does not have to mean foregoing the use of all technology or not touching your devices during the day. The goal of this day, instead, is to set aside technology and focus instead on the “real world” and the personal connections that you can make with the people around you, particularly your elderly parent, without the need to rely on a phone, tablet, or other device. Even if you only establish a few hours when you will not check your social media accounts or emails, not look at text messages, not make phone calls, and keep the TV off, you can quickly find that you have more time, energy, and emotion to focus on connecting with your loved one. This supports your relationship with your parent and helps to preserve mental and emotional health and well-being moving forward.

Starting elderly care for your aging parent can be an exceptional way to help them pursue and maintain a higher quality of life as they age in place. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging loved one on a customized schedule that is designed around not just their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also their beliefs, thoughts, preferences, and goals, and the amount of care that you are able to give them. This means that they can stay safe, healthy, comfortable, and happy while also pursuing as much independence, activity, and engagement as possible as they age in place. This care provider can also help your loved one to achieve a higher quality of life by providing support and companionship that encourages them to engage in a more active, fulfilling, and enjoyable lifestyle as they age in place. This can include identifying activities that they enjoy and participating in them with your senior on a regular basis, enhancing their lifestyle and reducing the risk of challenges and issues such as depression, loneliness, isolation, and loss of motivation.