Four Ideas for Helping Your Senior Get Used to Having Help
Bringing in home care providers may seem like a solution that you don’t have to think about very long at all. But your senior may not be on board. So, what can you do?
Really Listen to Why She’s Having Trouble
Home Care in Rockford, MI: Seniors and Accepting Help
The first thing to do is to really listen to your senior tell you why she’s having trouble accepting help. To do this, you have to actively listen and you do that by deliberately avoiding saying anything until she’s done. Your elderly family member might be saying one thing and trying to communicate something deeper. For instance, she might tell you she just doesn’t need any help, even if you’ve witnessed that need yourself. What she may be telling you in other ways is that she’s afraid of losing independence or worried that she won’t be able to have privacy. These are important things that you’ll need to address for her.
Let Her in on Your Own Concerns
Something else to consider is that as clear as you might think you’ve been with your senior, you may not have gotten the message across the way you thought you did. That happens more than you might think possible. Be super clear with her. How would this impact your ability to keep being her caregiver? Would you be less worried about her? Would you be able to do something specific? Tell her.
Talk to Her about the Benefits
Make sure your senior knows what the benefits are of her having help. Talk about how home care providers will allow her to conserve her energy and use that in other ways. Talk about how they can help her to eat nutritious meals if that’s been a concern. Make sure that you’re addressing very specific issues she’s facing and how home care services can directly address and solve those problems for her. That’s part of what’s going to get through to her.
Stay as Positive as Possible
Your attitude matters more than you think. If you’re negative during these conversations or if you’ve got even a hint of doubt, your senior is more likely to focus on that than she is on the rest of the message you’re trying to communicate. It’s vital for you to be able to keep your own attitude as positive as you can.
Your elderly family member definitely needs extra help, and you do as well. Making sure that she’s okay with that might take a little work.
If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care in Rockford, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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