Lots of aging adults aren’t super excited to talk about what is going to happen in the future. If you’re running into that problem with your senior, you might want to try some of these ideas.
It Doesn’t All Have to Be Solved Right Now
From your point of view as your senior’s caregiver, you might want to hash out everything right now and figure out where your senior stands on every issue. But you really don’t have to. It doesn’t all have to be solved right now, believe it or not. You can give your senior some of the time that she needs in order to share with you how she’s feeling and what she wants.
Your Senior Might Have Reasons to Be Reluctant
Your senior’s future might not look all that rosy from her perspective at the moment. Health changes and other issues can make thinking about and even talking about the future really unpleasant for her. She can’t afford to put off these conversations forever, but you also don’t have to force her to talk when she isn’t quite ready. Try to remember that she might have reasons to feel uncomfortable about these talks.
What Needs to Be Done Right Now?
What has to be addressed right at this moment? There may be some topics that are more urgent than others. If so, those are the ones you need to focus on now and let the others wait. For instance, your senior might need help with cooking because she’s not eating as well as she should be. Having a conversation with her about hiring elderly care providers to take over the cooking takes priority over conversations that aren’t as pressing.
Look at What She Doesn’t Want
Your senior may tell you often that she doesn’t know what she wants, so that might not be the way to approach the rest of this topic with her. Have you asked her what she doesn’t want? Sometimes narrowing down what she doesn’t want can give both of you a lot more information than you think it can. From there, she might start to feel a little more open about the whole conversation.
These topics are going to be ones that you’ll revisit with your senior over time. It’s definitely best to get as much information now as you possibly can, but it’s not always an easy conversation to have with your senior.
