Helpful Tips for Persuading an Elderly Parent to Accept Home Care

A Widespread Dilemma

Families sometimes discover an elderly relative would benefit from regular in-home care. Yet frequently a senior initially resists the idea of accepting help. Have you wondered how to introduce this topic to an aging parent? The dilemma poses challenges for many people today!

Remember Some Key Facts About Aging

• Physical mobility and mental abilities often decline with advancing age;
• Many seniors suffer the gradual onset of dementia; they may think clearly on some occasions, but suffer bouts of confusion and memory loss.
• Older people usually require longer to adjust to a major lifestyle change.

Helping an Elderly Parent

These tips may help your effort to persuade an aging parent accept home care:

• • Patience
    Address your parent’s resistance to a caregiver with patience. Older people sometimes fear change. Carefully detail the reasons why additional care has become a practical or medical necessity. (It may help to suggest alternatives. For instance, you might offer to explore nursing home options with your parent if that solution appeals more than residential care. Most seniors prefer to reside independently at home.)

• • Reassurance
    Always reassure your parent that the presence of a caregiver on the premises does not detract from the esteem and respect you feel for your loved one and their housekeeping abilities. Many elderly people resent the loss of skills and physical and mental abilities they once possessed, so this may become a sensitive topic.

• • Personal Introductions
    If possible, try and personally introduce a new caregiver to your parent and their household pets. Providing a tour of the home (with your parent) may help clarify household routines and the location of supplies. Make sure the caregiver receives an up-to-date list of contact numbers to call if an emergency arises.

• • Ask Your Caregiver For Feedback
    It usually helps to request feedback from your care provider about possible issues or problems and to follow up on this information promptly. For instance, if your parent refuses to cooperate in meal planning, try and discover the reason for this behavior. By investigating the source of any personal conflicts, you’ll assist your parent in adjusting to a lifestyle change more easily.

• • Always Remain Respectful
    Remember, your parent has spent years living completely independently! The need to ask someone to come into the home to assist with important personal care and cleaning needs sometimes can embarrass elderly people who value self-sufficiency. Always remain respectful of your loved one’s views and desire for independence. At some level, your parent also appreciates the need for assistance.

• • Discuss Health Concerns With Your Physician
    During the process of helping an elderly parent adjust to home care, consider remaining in close communication with your parent’s personal physician. Some medical conditions do eventually require a nursing home, and your parent’s physician should guide the caregiving team (and family members) in remaining alert for important milestones or markers signaling a need for a medical re-assessment.
• • Expect Setbacks
    If your parent strongly resisted the idea of accepting any in-home care assistance, then expect occasional setbacks. It may prove helpful to join your parent in writing down a list of reasons why a personal caregiver matters right now. Make sure you keep this list in a place where your elderly parent can consult it.

A Challenging But Rewarding Effort

Although assisting a senior in accepting the need for in-home care sometimes involves challenges, this effort may prove very rewarding in the long run. It brings much greater peace of mind knowing your loved one receives daily attention and assistance, reducing the chance of accidental injury. A responsible and caring home caregiver supplies many resources a parent requires to remain independent. This service typically costs considerably less than full-time nursing home care. (Some insurance policies or government senior care service agencies may even cover certain necessary home caregiver assistance costs.)

By cooperating closely with your parent’s physician and a care team, you’ll often greatly enhance an elderly person’s daily quality of life, too. This result alone makes the effort worthwhile!

More Information

To receive information about By Your Side Home Care, simply complete the convenient website contact form now. Our agency helps connect seniors, people with disabilities and patients undergoing post-operative recuperation with a home caregiver in Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania. We offer hourly, overnight or 24-hour care as necessary. We can supply customized client home care options including assistance with meal planning and preparation, dressing, personal hygiene, light housekeeping, laundry and monitoring medication usage. Contact us now to explore how we can help your loved one!