Speaking To Your Elderly Parents About Home Care
For your whole life, your parents will have taken care of you, but as they get older, you will likely find that the tables will turn. As people age, they tend to require some additional support with day-to-day tasks and you may notice that your elderly parents are now less able than they used to be. That being said, it isn’t uncommon for older people to find it difficult to admit when they need support and this can be driven by their fear of having to move into a care home.
If you’ve noticed that your elderly parents are starting to struggle to live independently then you don’t have to wait for them to ask for help. You could try to discuss the option of home care services with them, and whilst this may be a very difficult conversation, it is an important one to have, it will ensure your parents get a say in the type of care they would like and could reduce stress by enabling you to plan ahead. To help anyone who needs to speak to their elderly parents about care and support services, below is some advice that may come in handy.
Don’t put off talking about home care services
Whilst it can be tempting to postpone any conversations about care, simply put; the sooner you talk about home care, the better the outcome for everyone. It is never too early to have these discussions and the worst thing that you can do is wait until your elderly parents are really struggling and require urgent support. This will likely result in potentially life-changing decisions needing to be made immediately rather than having time to contemplate different options.
Generally speaking, it is much easier to implement some simple home care services into your elderly parents’ lives and they will likely be more willing to accept occasional support. So, by speaking about care sooner rather than later, you can start to find appropriate solutions to their current needs that are in line with their wishes to stay at home.
Have care conversations in your parent’s home
There is a chance that when you bring up home care services your elderly parents will be reluctant to even entertain the conversation and understandably, they will be quite protective of their independence. To ensure that everyone feels as comfortable as possible during this important discussion, ensure that you’re having it in a familiar environment.
Talking about care and support in their own home will prevent your elderly parents from getting upset in public and it can also help them to relax into the conversation. Not having any distractions or interruptions can be really useful too and it will enable you to discuss everything that you’re wanting to in one sitting rather than having to drag the conversation out.
Think about what you’re wanting to say in advance
Before you bring up the idea of home care services to your elderly parents, ensure that you have done some research and preparation. Knowing what points you’re wanting to get across and saying them in the best way possible will help to ensure that the conversation is successful. Ultimately, the better the discussion goes, the more open they will be to care services.
Make sure you know what type of home care is available to your parents at this time and how these services will be able to help them with various aspects of their lives. Being able to answer their questions and put their minds at ease straight away will be really beneficial. Ensure they know that you’re wanting them to stay in their own home too, this may help them to come around to the idea of care.
Discussing your parents’ home care with a care broker
All in all, there is no denying that it is important to discuss home care services with your elderly parents and whilst this might be a conversation you have been putting off, it is essential to ensure that care is something you’re speaking openly about. When it comes to talking to your elderly parents about care and support, hopefully, the information above will be useful and can help you to navigate this taboo subject.
Should you want to speak to a professional care broker about home care for your elderly parents, please feel free to contact us here at Care Captains, we’re more than happy to offer our expertise. We understand that discussing home care isn’t easy, but we can provide comprehensive support when planning care for your parents. Our brokerage services can help you to ensure that your parents are getting the right type of support at the right time, from the right provider, so you won’t be alone in handling the whole care process.
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