As parents get older, it is common for children to be concerned for their safety. We don’t want them to lift heavy things, drive on the road etc. While the concern is valid, preventing them from doing work they are capable of doing makes them feel worthless. Almost everyone wants to feel they are contributing in one way or another to the family they are living with. This makes them feel valued members of the family and not freeloaders. Even seniors at home want to be valued at home for the contributions they are capable of making. We should not stop them from doing work they are capable of doing. If someone is capable of cooking, let them. It keeps them engaged and also gives a purpose for their life. If they cannot do the entire cooking but can help in preparation (Cutting vegetables, cleaning up after cooking, doing dishes etc) let them do that. If they are capable of taking care of plants, walking the pets, going to nearby shops for small shopping, let them contribute that to the family. If they are capable of dropping and bringing grandchildren from school, welcome their work. If they want to go and pay bills offline don’t switch to online and stop them. It is convenient for you but it takes away their sense of contribution to family work. We may be able to afford to hire others for doing many of the work. But if a family member wants to do that then it is better to allow them to do it. As long as we ensure that they are safe when doing the work and take precautions, we should not stop seniors at home from contributing to daily family work. Stopping them from any work makes them feel worthless and they also feel they are living off others' work. Nobody likes that feeling. Their self esteem could also take a hit leading down the depression spiral. The sense of belonging to a family comes when each member is contributing in some way to daily living. Seniors also need that feeling. Let us not deprive them of that by preventing them from household work in the name of caring for them.