As your parent or older loved one ages, daily life may become more challenging. However, many elders will resist home care or moving in with younger family members. Finding the right avenues to discuss elder care options can be challenging. This article will help families of older adults navigate those difficult conversations.
Listening is the First Step
Caring for your older loved one starts with listening to their concerns. Before posing options or solutions, listen to their concerns. Be open to their perspective. You shouldn’t be working to convince them. Their concerns will often include:
- Fear of losing independence
- Fear of feeling incapable
- Worries over costs
- Privacy concerns
- Being uprooted to a nursing home
Understanding your loved one’s concerns is a vital first step in approaching their care needs.
Reframing the Need For Care
Discuss care support as assisting you, not them. You need help ensuring that they are safe and comfortable. In-home support for them gives you peace of mind that they will be safe. While this may not work for every aging parent, it could make a difference. This reframing makes your parent still feel capable. Caring for your loved one and living your own life can be a struggle to balance. Home care assistance for your loved one can make it easier for you to focus on your work, your family, and your own needs. It can also help make your visits less about tending to their needs and simply spending time together as a family.
Consider Starting Small
Not every family needs to jump right into full-time care. If your loved one is worried about losing their independence, consider starting with a smaller care plan. Consider hiring a health aide on a shorter basis first. Care help a few times a week can make a big difference. This can help your loved one get used to having someone around to help. Easing them into full-time care can help them feel more in control of the situation.
Helping Your Elders Feel Like They Are In Control
It is important to work with your parent on what their care looks like. Try your best to plan the care around their existing routines. You may even want to frame care support as an on-trial basis until they are comfortable with it.
Hiring a Home Health Aide
Hiring a home health aide for your loved one is a way to have them feel supported at home without losing their independence. It is a good way to provide care for your loved one without all of the hassle and cost of a nursing home or senior living facility. A certified Home Health Aide from Safe Harbor can help your loved one with their daily care needs from the comfort of their home. We work with your family as a team to help ensure that your elders get the care they need. Aides also assist with hygiene care, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, and more.
Safe Harbor Healthcare Services does not provide medical, healthcare, or financial advice via articles. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for advice.
Safe Harbor Healthcare Services has provided excellent home care on Staten Island since 1967. Our services help older and disabled individuals live safely and independently while giving their families the peace of mind they need. For more information, contact us or call (718)-979-6900.
