Golden Heart Senior Care had an open house to celebrate its wonderful caregivers. There was a constant flow of people in and out of the office. Congratulations to DB, pictured alone, for winning the raffle. Thank you to all 80 of our wonderful caregivers for the care they provide daily to our wonderful clients.
Talking about big changes with seniors can be complicated, especially if aging adults are reluctant to make some of those changes. Many seniors look at home care assistance as something that they should only need if they’re infirm or completely unable to cope with daily life. Having compassionate conversations about home care helps families to make the best possible decisions for the seniors they love.
Understanding what seniors are worried about and why they might be hesitant to accept help from elder care providers is an important part of the process. Family caregivers can practice techniques like active listening. This process involves listening carefully without interrupting or dismissing what seniors say. Afterward, paraphrasing the conversation is a good way to demonstrate that they really were listening.
One of the reasons seniors might worry about home care is because they fear losing independence. But home care assistance is about supporting senior independence as much as possible. Seniors remain in their own homes, where they are around their own belongings and routines. Professional caregivers help with tasks without taking control of everything.
There are other benefits, too. Seniors have hands-on help with tasks that are difficult for them. They don’t have to exert energy cooking, for instance, if trying to cook causes them to be short of breath or causes pain. Home care providers can do the cooking, freeing up time and energy for seniors to do the things they want to do instead. Professional caregivers also offer companionship, helping seniors to feel less isolated and lonely.
If seniors feel as if they’re being cut out of the decision-making process, that’s not going to feel very good for them. Choice is huge for seniors. So many areas of their lives may have gotten to a point where seniors don’t have as many options as they did in the past. If they feel as if their families are making decisions without their input, seniors may feel even more resistant and not want to talk about the subject any longer.
Reassurance can go a long way with this complicated topic. General reassurance is one thing, but it’s especially helpful if family caregivers can be specific about the ways in which seniors can expect their lives to stay the same or change within certain boundaries. It’s important that seniors hear that home care providers are experienced professionals who want the best for the people they care for on a daily basis.
Ultimately, if seniors aren’t willing to have help from home care assistance, there might not be much that family caregivers can do to change their minds. They can offer solutions like trying a trial run of home care services, for instance. But forcing the situation might not be the best idea. Practicing patience and letting it happen relieves pressure.
How families approach the topic of home care assistance matters. Starting from a place of understanding and highlighting the ways this type of assistance helps seniors is a solid beginning.
