How to Talk to Your Loved One about Getting In Home Care
As young children, it is difficult to imagine a world without the heroes that we call our parents and guardians. It is only when we get older that we realize that they are like us with weaknesses imparted upon them as time passes. Dealing with changes to their health can become a challenge not only for them but also those who they are surrounded by. This often becomes the time when elder care is considered, and it becomes a weighted issue for many in physical, financial, and emotional terms.
Discussing In-Home Care With Your Loved One
When thinking about elder care, focusing on the negative possibilities can cloud the many positive activities and options available within the facilities. Senior care provides a variety of living arrangements, an ability to be part of a social community, opportunities to maintain independence, and professionals to help recuperate from health issues or to address those which have not been discussed. In breaching the topic, there are a number of ways to create a smooth transition rather than shock.
Start the Discussion Early
It is important to present the idea of elder care early to those who may need help. By approaching your loved one with your personal worries for them, the elder will feel as though they are not being put on the spot and they will know that the discussion was sparked through affection and love for them.
Research Your Options
Upon gaining an affirmative response toward elder care, it is important that you schedule community tours as soon as possible. In doing so, the tours will give your loved one an opportunity to see the ways in which they can be part of a community and even have the option to experience a trial period as a resident in some facilities.
Is Faith a Factor?
Another factor to consider when talking to your loved one about getting in-home care is the ability for them to continue practicing their faith while in these communities. While not all faiths are necessarily represented within the elder care community, many facilities house a chapel within them and provide church services for Christian practices of faith. Often church groups from external sources will come into the facility’s chapel, offering spiritual services and allowing for the communities to merge from the elder’s external living to internal residence at their new home.
Be Informed
When working together to discuss the next steps toward elder care, there may be a fear of the elder’s decreasing mobility and mental stability, and this can become stressful for children caring for their parent. It is important to then assist your elder in becoming informed of the various health care options available, such as having round-the-clock nursing care and being able to use a local bussing company for transport to and from appointments.
With the use of positive encouragement and visits to facilities, the door to personal healing can open with possibilities for the future. With early discussion and the use of family as a support system to fall back on, elders can become more comfortable knowing that they are loved and cared for.