Part of growing older is that unfortunately, your senior is going to need some help. That can be a tough truth to swallow, though. In fact, your elderly family member may be very against having help from outside sources at all.
Pay Attention to How You’re Phrasing Things
Sometimes it’s all in how you say something that makes the biggest difference. For your senior, hearing that she should accept more help or that she has to let someone come in and help her can feel as if she’s losing control over parts of her life. Or it can feel as if you no longer trust her to take care of herself. When you’re careful with your phrasing, you can help to alleviate some of those concerns.
Listen to Your Senior’s Thoughts and Opinions
It’s crucial for you to listen to your senior’s thoughts and feelings on this topic. If she feels like you’re ignoring her or glossing over what she’s telling you, that’s going to compound the problems. You’re going to need to really listen and show her that you understand. That’s going to go a lot farther.
Make This an Easy Transition
When you bring elder care providers in to help, do what you can to make that a slow and easy transition. Stay there while elder care providers are there. Start out with visits every couple of weeks at first. Maybe keep the visits themselves short as well.
Put a Time Limit on Things
Something else that you can do is to set a time limit for the entire experience. For example, at the front end, you might tell your elderly family member that this is something you’ll both can try out for the next six months. That helps her to see that there is an end date, and if she wants to stick with that, you can when that time comes.
Keep the Conversation Positive
When you do talk about how elder care services are going for your senior, do what you can to remain positive about the situation. She may still have some negative feelings about the experience, but if you follow that mood you may not be able to win her over even if she does need the help.
It’s difficult for some people to accept that they need help now. If your elderly family member has always been fiercely independent, it’s going to take some time for her to adjust. Be there for her as she finally accepts and learns to enjoy having some extra assistance.
