Help with everyday tasks and getting out of the house

The list on the fridge door says bins on Thursday, ring the bank, birthday card for the friend down the road. None of it is complicated, and all of it involves getting somewhere or getting something done. As the years go on, some of those jobs can take more effort than they did, and it is easy for a family to start filling the gaps one favour at a time. This page sets out the kinds of help people use and why getting out matters in its own right. This is information, not medical or legal advice. Whether your parent should drive, or what they qualify for, is beyond what a page can answer for one person, so neither is attempted here.

See the week as a whole, not a list of jobs

Canada's federal, provincial and territorial seniors' ministers note that some older adults find they need help with the day-to-day activities of living independently at home, giving shopping, cleaning and yard work as examples. Their planning guide frames it as a question a person can ask themselves: how will I look after my home if I need help? The same guide says being able to get to appointments, the shops and recreational activities is an important part of staying as independent as possible. That puts the trip to the shops and the afternoon with a friend in the same frame, and Loneliness, being alone and staying connected in later life looks more closely at the second.

Know the kinds of help people put together

The NHS lists shopping, preparing meals and drinks, and getting out, for example to a lunch club, among the things a paid carer can help with, with cleaning as part of the related home help. It describes agencies that employ trained carers and send them to visit, and notes that a person can instead hire their own carer, sometimes called a private carer or personal assistant. According to the NHS, someone might need that help for an hour a week, for several hours a day or at night, and it can be short term or long term. Family and friends can be part of the mix too, and for meals in particular, Keeping meals and daily routines feeling like theirs is about helping without taking over. Which of these suits your parent is something to work out with them.

Treat getting out as part of life, not only errands

Age Cymru, writing about Wales, says older people need the means to get out to buy food, get medical attention, handle money and bills, and see other people. In its 2026 policy statement on transport in Wales, it calls public and community transport vitally important to older people's independence and wellbeing.

Think about how they get around

Canada's seniors' ministers suggest thinking about the transport options in a community, such as public transit, taxis, low-cost transport services, or family and friends. For people who drive, Age Cymru notes, stopping can be a major life event. Questions about your parent's driving are worth bringing to their doctor or care team.

Find out what exists where they live

Canada's seniors' ministers note that the supports people need as they age vary, as do the costs, from paying privately to services offered through health and social care. They add that not everyone is eligible for every level of help, and not every service is available in every community. Canada's seniors' ministers suggest a local centre or club for older people, or a health care provider, as a good place to start looking for information. Your parent's care team is another place to ask. Whether a parent is able to make a particular decision for themselves is not something a family is asked to settle on its own; where that is in question, it is for their doctor or care team, and the formal side differs by where your parent lives.