For many families, hiring a professional in-home caregiver is a great way to give a senior loved one help while letting him or her stay in a familiar environment. However, what do you do if your loved one resists the idea of in-home help? Here are a few tips for helping your loved one feel more comfortable with the idea of home care.
1. Avoid “Steamrolling” Your Loved One
The worst thing you can do in this situation is to ignore your loved one’s wishes and just have a caregiver show up at the house one day. This approach leads to a lot of tension in families. It could make your loved one feel disrespected and ignored, and he or she is likely to become more stubborn and try to make the caregiver’s job even harder. Unless your loved one has severe cognitive difficulties, you should always try to get his or her permission before bringing a caregiver into the home.
Elderly home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy.
2. Figure Out Why Your Loved One Is So Resistant
To help your loved one become more comfortable with in-home care, you need to figure out the underlying cause of the resistance. This will help you develop a strategy that addresses the actual problem. The most common reason seniors resist the idea of in-home care is because they’re worried about losing control and being seen as less capable than younger people. Some seniors also hate the idea of change, worry about the added costs, or dislike having strangers in their homes.
3. Address Your Loved One’s Fears Honestly
Once you get a general idea of where your loved one stands on having in-home care, it’s time to sit down and have an honest chat with him or her. Try to empathize, telling your loved one you understand how he or she feels. Then be open about how his or her health is worrying you. Emphasize the value of a caregiver while explaining the steps you’ll take to ensure your loved one’s fears aren’t realized. For example, if your loved one is worried about costs, you can agree that you want to save money and create a spreadsheet of costs for in-home care as opposed to assisted living. Many people find it helpful to suggest trial periods so their loved ones can see their worries don’t come true.
Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading Calgary senior home care agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks.
4. Give Your Loved One Control in the Caregiver Selection Process
Remember your loved one is the person who will spend the most time with the caregiver, so you need to involve your parent in the selection. This gives your loved one a sense of independence, which can reduce the resistance. It also provides more information on how companies screen and educate caregivers, so it can ease concerns about a caregiver’s qualifications. Help your loved one meet potential caregivers ahead of time so he or she can find someone who’s a good fit.
Every senior has different needs when aging in place. Some simply need occasional assistance with household chores, while others may be managing a serious illness and require more extensive 24-hour care. Calgary seniors can count on Home Care Assistance to provide the in-home care they need and deserve. To learn about our high-quality in-home care services, give us a call at 403-301-3777 today.