How to Encourage Your Loved One to Accept In-Home Care
Accepting In-Home Care Tips
When you’re considering in-home care for a loved one, it can oftentimes seem like it makes sense to everyone but them. Aging is not easy, and it’s important to keep that in mind. Accepting the need for in-home care is a major hurdle when it comes to this discussion, but you can encourage your loved one to accept in-home care with the tips you’ll read about below.
The First Conversation
This first conversation could happen during a discussion on retirement planning or following a medical problem. If this conversation happens as part of a planning discussion, then only gentle probing is necessary - it’s important to get the idea of in-home care in your loved one’s mind, but it’s not urgent. If the conversation is part of an urgent situation, then you’ll want to let your loved one know that in-home care could help speed their recovery and help them to maintain their independence.
Talk About the Options
Alternatives could include your loved one moving in with you, staying in an independent living, assisted living or skilled nursing home, either long-term or short-term. A senior day care could also be an option. Explain that in-home care is a great way to help them stay in their normal routines in the comfort of their own home and enjoy their life.
Avoid Burn-Out
It's essential for family members to understand that in order to avoid their family members from burning out or feeling over burdened by caring for their loved ones that in-home care can assist. With as little as three hours a week, respite care from an in-home care agency can help prevent this from happening.
Discuss it with Family
You don’t want to overwhelm your loved one but having an open conversation with family can be a great way to offer encouragement and show them that they do have their family’s support in receiving in-home care.
Let them Know it’s Their Decision
It’s important that your loved one feel that this is their decision and that they are still a capable adult. Aging can be such a challenging process, but this conversation can be a great opportunity to empower your loved one with control over their lifestyle choices.
Some seniors are resistant to accepting in-home care, until they realize how great it really can be. You might have to talk about it a few times but stay patient and remember - this could very well be you one day.
