Adults Who Actually Visit Their Parents Often As They Get Older Usually Have These 11 Reasons

Many adult children will choose to visit their parents very often as they get older. There are several reasons that adults will want to do so. Not only does visiting often deepen their relationship, but it also promotes better well-being for both parents and adult children.

Getting to cherish their parents through caregiving, spending quality time, and showing their gratitude and appreciation, makes the relationship thrive. They get to create new memories and reminisce about the old ones while remaining emotionally supportive and loving, even as the relationship evolves.

Adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these 11 reasons

1. To keep their bond strong

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to strengthen family bonds Prapon Srinakara / Shutterstock

Adults may visit their parents more often as they get older for several different reasons. They likely do so because they want to continue strengthening the family bond that they have.

“Regular visits to elderly parents are not only beneficial for their emotional well-being but also strengthen family bonds and provide an avenue for observation and support,” according to Regency Health Care, a licensed home care provider that services New York City. While visiting their parents, they are showing that they care and support them, which helps their bond deepen as they learn to lean on one another.

2. They don't want their parents to be lonely

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to combat parental loneliness Iryna Inshyna / Shutterstock

As their parents get older, most adults will start to try to make time to visit them more often. No longer having their children to look after can cause parents to feel a newfound sense of loneliness. As a result, many adults visit to combat parental loneliness.

Fairview Senior Living mentions that, “Regular visits can serve as a beacon of reassurance, fostering a sense of connection with one’s family. It can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can be common among senior adults.”

3. To provide emotional support

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to provide emotional support Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

Adults who visit their parents as they get older usually do so to help provide their parents with emotional support and to get emotional support from their parents. Prioritizing this connection promotes improved well-being for both the adult child and the parent, and it helps each understand that they are not without support.

HumanCare, a fully licensed staff that provides home care services for those in need, explains that, “To truly understand the importance of visiting elderly parents, it's crucial to recognize the emotional and physical benefits it brings. By prioritizing regular visits, adult children can create lasting memories, provide emotional support, and contribute to the overall happiness and well-being of their elderly parents.”

4. To show appreciation

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to show appreciation fizkes / Shutterstock

When adults visit their parents as they get older, it is an opportunity to reflect on past memories and show their appreciation and gratitude for their parents. By having meaningful conversations and spending quality time with them, it shows that they are willing to support them throughout a potentially difficult time and that they feel grateful for all the time they took to care for them.

“Spending time with elderly parents is an opportunity to show love, care, and appreciation. It allows you to strengthen the bond between generations and create lasting memories. Visits provide an avenue for meaningful conversations, reminiscing about the past, and sharing stories,” mentions Heart To Heart, an agency that provides health care services to patients.

5. To create new memories

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to create new memories Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

Adults who visit their parents as they get older do so to create new memories. While they spend quality time together, they have the opportunity to make new shared experiences.

These visits also allow them to bond through communication that helps to deepen their relationship and offer an opportunity to reflect on memories while in the midst of creating new ones. Now that the child is an adult, the relationship with their parents can become more like a friendship, which means it will evolve and grow in new ways.

6. To reconnect with family history

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to reconnect with family history Lipik Stock Media / Shutterstock

Some adults may visit their parents as they get older to reconnect with their family history. As adults, they’ve likely developed a deeper interest in the history that shaped them, so they may spend more time with their parents to learn from them.

“Sharing stories of loved ones who have passed can bring comfort and a sense of continuity, affirming that while they may be gone, their impact on the world remains. Furthermore, these stories contribute to a sense of identity, giving individuals a clearer understanding of their origins and the forces that have shaped their families,” according to the Jackson Lytle and Lewis Life Celebration Center, a center dedicated to providing families a comforting place to celebrate the lives of their loved ones. For adult children to learn about their ancestors, talking to their parents helps them do so.

7. So their parents can bond with their grandchildren

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to allow parents to bond with grandchildren PeopleImages / Shutterstock

Adults will visit their parents often to allow them the opportunity to bond with their grandchildren. This gives both their children and their parents time to deepen their relationship, and it benefits the emotional and social well-being of both.

While grandchildren develop a deeper sense of themselves, the parents can reap the benefits of the relationship by helping the longevity of their lives and giving them purpose within their lives. The emotional connection between grandkids and grandparents positively impacts both of their lives, making them more fulfilling.

8. To feel a sense of home

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to feel a sense of home ProCinemaStock / Shutterstock

When an adult visits their parents more often as they get older, it may be so that they can feel a sense of home. This helps them feel secure and safe, much like they did when they were a child.

Being able to reminisce on their childhood while they are visiting their parents provides them with a sense of stability and comfort. This quality time with their parents helps them know that the memories and sense of home that come from remembering their childhood are not gone.

9. To monitor their health and safety

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to monitor their health and safety Chay_Tee / Shutterstock

Adults who make time to visit their parents as they get older typically do so to monitor their health and safety. If their parents are experiencing health concerns and struggle to care for themselves, an adult child will want to take time to check in on and help take care of their parents.

According to a 2021 study, "Older parents ask adult children for instrumental and emotional support, which can come to be essential for their well-being. If older parents experience increasing disability, adult children may step in to compensate for their parents’ functional declines or become responsible for decisions about their parents’ health and safety.”

More for You:

Zodiac Signs Who Make Great Dads — Ranked From Best To Worst

10 Phrases People Use When They Weren't Raised With Good Manners

Your Parents Did A GREAT Job Raising You If You Have These 11 Things In Your Home

11 Phrases Deeply Unhappy Kids Say On A Regular Basis

10. To get support for themselves

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to get support themselves M_Agency / Shutterstock

An adult who actually visits their parents as they get older does so to feel supported by them. Not only will they want their parents to know that they can rely on them when they need support, but when they feel uncertain about something in their own life, they may seek guidance from their parents.

These visits foster a strong emotional bond between them and help each party know that they are there to support one another emotionally. If their parents were always supportive and understanding when they were growing up, they are likely to still want to rely on them for support even after they've become adults.

11. To provide physical support with tasks

adults who actually visit their parents often as they get older usually have these reasons to provide physical support with tasks PeopleImages / Shutterstock

Adult children will visit their aging parents to help them with everyday tasks. As their parents get older, they may need extra support with tasks like running errands, cleaning their home, and preparing meals.

By dedicating time to visit them, adult children can make sure that their parents feel supported, taken care of, and that their quality of life does not have to suffer just due to getting older. Making time for parents as they grow older is an important part of being their adult child. By doing so, their well-being, along with the adult child’s well-being, will likely improve overall.

Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.