Tips For Discussing Home Care With An Aging Loved One
There are many important topics you’ll have to discuss with aging loved ones, including their future care preferences and needs. For a long time, people assumed the only care option for older adults was moving to a senior community or assisted living home. However, thanks to at-home care agencies like Visiting Angels, seniors can continue living in the comfort of their homes safely, even if they have health conditions like heart disease or dementia. Nearly 77 percent of seniors in 2021 said they’d prefer to age in place than move into a community dwelling.
While home care is an excellent option for seniors, not everyone understands what home care is and may initially reject the idea of working with an at-home caregiver.
What Is Home Care?
Before suggesting at-home care to an aging loved one, it’s important to understand what home care is. Home care with Visiting Angels is a service provided by professional caregivers to help seniors age in place safely. Home care can look different for everyone, depending on the client's needs, but it’s generally a mix of companionship and assistance with non-medical tasks like housekeeping, cooking, and medication reminders. Some clients may also request hands-on services to assist with personal tasks like mobility, dressing, and bathing.
One of the primary reasons people choose home care is because it allows seniors to remain independent. Yes, a hired professional is available to assist with daily tasks, but older adults are still in charge of their lives. They’re still making decisions, living in their homes, and engaging in activities they enjoy.
Talking To A Loved One About Home Care
Home care is a big decision; it may not be something your loved one understands or wants to try. However, if you think home care may be viable for your aging loved one, consider these tips to start a conversation.
Keep The Conversation Intimate
Discussing future care needs with an aging loved one is an essential conversation you shouldn’t take lightly. Discussing future care can also be an emotional conversation, especially for loved ones who aren’t ready to accept they may need help at home. To keep your loved one from feeling overwhelmed, try to keep conversations to one-on-one interactions.
While various family members may want to share their ideas and concerns, having too many people in a conversation about home care can make the whole situation feel too stressful and cause your loved one to retract. Instead, you can have a conversation with all relatives who want to be involved in the discussion, then elect only one or two people to initiate that conversation with your aging loved one.
Express Concerns And Benefits
Demanding a loved one to accept home care is not an effective way to approach the situation. Instead, start the conversation with concerns about your loved one living alone or without help. Maybe you’ve noticed your loved one is having trouble cleaning their home or forgetting to take their medications. Or maybe your loved one was recently diagnosed with a health condition, and you worry they won’t be able to care for themselves effectively.
Once you express your concerns, explain how home care can benefit your loved one and ease your worries. Explain how caregivers can assist with housekeeping, cooking, transportation, and medication reminders. Help them visualize what working with a caregiver will look like and remind them that working with a caregiver is not removing their independence but improving their ability to age in place.
Remain Compassionate And Empathetic
Remember, you’re not the person receiving the home care. While home care may feel like the most obvious solution, try to put yourself in your loved one’s shoes. Approach the situation with compassion and empathy and understand that they may have concerns about home care.
Ask open-ended questions to try to get your loved one to open up about any concerns or dislikes about home care. Allow them to express their thoughts and feelings, and don’t feel obligated to have answers immediately. Simply validate that they are entitled to feel however they want, and continue to show compassion and empathy throughout the conversation.
Take Time
It may take more than one conversation with a loved one to convince them to try home care, and that’s okay. If your loved one doesn’t seem open to a discussion immediately, don’t force them into it. Give them time to consider the idea on their own and allow your loved one to have an open dialogue about their future care needs.
Home Care With Visiting Angels
Visiting Angels is a locally owned and operated home care agency proudly dedicated to assisting seniors throughout Gadsden, Alabama, and the surrounding communities. All of our at-home care services are customizable to meet the needs of each client, ensuring they stay safe and comfortable at home.
Before committing to working with a Visiting Angels caregiver, we offer a complimentary consultation to help you better visualize how Visiting Angels can fit into your life. During this consultation, a team member will discuss the various care options as they make themselves available for any questions you may have.
After the consultation, our team will create a customized care plan detailing how we can provide nonmedical assistance to your needs. We then carefully match clients and caregivers to ensure the two have a solid foundation to build a long-lasting relationship.
If you’re considering a professional caregiver, please don’t hesitate to reach out to schedule your complimentary consultation.