If your parents are in need of home care but are reluctant to accept help, here are some tips to approach them and present the idea effectively.
Acknowledging the need for help is not an easy thing, particularly when it comes to personal care and matters of the home. The act of accepting help is often accompanied by feeling a loss of independence, as well as the difficulty of admitting that abilities are less than they used to be. Acknowledging this reality can mark a devastating time in an individual’s life.
If someone you love is reluctant or resistant to accepting help, it is important to respect their feelings, and to acknowledge how difficult this time is for them.
It is also important, however, that appropriate care be implemented.
It is important to be aware of both these realities as you attempt to come to a suitable arrangement in a way that is respectful and allows for greater ease in the transition to this change in lifestyle.
Remember to always be patient, and try keeping these suggestions in mind:
- Introduce the idea slowly and allow them ample time to process and accept it.
- Offer a trial period. They may be willing to try a Support Worker if they feel the freedom of knowing they can change their minds.
- Frame it differently. Sometimes parents are more willing to accept a Support Worker’s help if it is presented as being beneficial for the family caregiver.
- Start the Support Worker with household chores, rather than personal or “hands on” care.
- Slowly introduce these additional forms of care and tasks as familiarity and comfort grow.
- Help your parent visit a few nursing homes to review their options. Many seniors prefer to stay in their homes, and might be more willing to accept help to stay there rather than entering a nursing home.
- Often people will listen to their doctor. Ask their doctor to suggest a plan that includes a Support Worker.
- Often, the person may be concerned about the cost of services. Remember to be sensitive to the fact that most of today’s seniors grew up in the Depression and World War years. Money is always on their mind.
The Retire-At-Home Approach:
Over the past 20-plus years, Retire-At-Home has become acquainted with the common resistance to accept help. The majority of our services are initiated by children or family members of our loved ones, and most of these cases are accompanied by the challenge of aiding individuals through the process of acknowledge and accept that they need help in their homes.
It is for this reason that the Retire-At-Home process begins with a free, no-obligation consultation with a nurse. This consultation involves a guided, one-on-one conversation regarding all of the worries, fears, and areas of resistance that your loved-one may be experiencing. Our nurses are often able to convince individuals that the care they need is the care they want, by ensuring they maintain a feeling of independence and agency.
We suggest introducing services gradually, and also ensure that we gather feedback from our clients so that they feel they are being heard and consulted through the decision making process.
