It can be incredibly difficult on all parties involved when an aging loved one reaches the point where they need more help in their day-to-day life than they are willing to admit. The ability to care for oneself independently is a point of pride for many people. This means that there will likely be some resistance when you recognize that your loved one needs additional care to get by.
It is important to bear in mind that the most important thing in such situations is the wellbeing of your loved one. Whether you are responsible for the care of an aging parent, grandparent, or other loved one, you owe it to them to get all of the attention and assistance they need. These conversations can be extremely difficult for everyone involved, the important thing is to not get upset, or take it to heart if your loved one lashes out.
Thankfully, there are ways of ensuring the wellness of your loved one while at the same time facilitating a smooth transition into the next chapter of life for them. This will require some planning and a great deal of patience on your end, but ultimately you should be able to wind up in a place where everyone is more comfortable and better off in general.
Here are just a few things that you can do to help your aging loved one get the care that they not only need but deserve.
Do Your Research
Before you approach your loved one with any suggestions or alterations to how they currently live and go about their daily life, you need to do your own research to ensure that you know what it is you are proposing. Evaluate their current situation to see where improvements might be made and where additional help is needed. You can then make sure of services like a senior living directory to find exactly what sort of resources you have at your disposal.
For instance, if all you need to do is make sure that your loved one has reliable help for things like home repair, you can easily find such resources online that are designed specifically to assist the aging and elderly with such things. If on the more extreme side of things, it is time for your loved one to transition into an assisted living facility, you can find a great many options to choose from as well.
Take the time to gather your information so that you can be as clear and straightforward as possible with your loved one. When they know that you have put in the time and effort to help them along in this phase of life, it can help to make them feel more at ease and comfortable with any changes that need to be made.
Keep Them Involved
One of the biggest challenges that you can run into when you are looking to help your aging loved one get the care and assistance, they need is resistance. Oftentimes, this resistance stems from the feeling that they are losing control of their own life. They will not be comfortable with any changes if they are made to feel as though they have lost all decision-making power over their own life.
For this reason, you must take measures to help them stay involved in the process. Talk to them about the changes you think need to be made in a respectful manner and see their genuine thoughts about those changes. Ensure that they know you are not coming from a place of judgment or control, but rather that you are concerned for their wellbeing and want them to be as happy and comfortable as possible.
If you have come across several options for things like assisted living facilities, take them along on tours or show them pictures of the locations. Keeping them involved and helping them remember that you are simply looking to help improve their lives can go a long way to easing them through this transition.
Spend More Time Together
Many seniors find themselves wishing to resist major changes to their lifestyle because they feel as though they are being placed on the backburner by their family and friends. This is a scary feeling for many, as the thought of being unwanted can be devastating. This is why it is so important for you to emphasize to them that the changes you are proposing are not so that you can shirk your familial obligations to them.
By making an effort to spend more time together, particularly as the transition period gets moving, you can help your loved one feel wanted and appreciated. They will better understand the situation when they know that you aren’t going anywhere and will always be there for them.
