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How Can You Talk to a Loved One Who Won't Accept Home Care Help?

February 13, 2018
Lenora Alabi
bigstock-Young-Adult-Woman-Consoles-Sad-44058283.jpgYou might feel incredibly disheartened to have your senior tell you that she doesn't want any help from elderly care providers, especially when you know she can use the help. Try some of these ideas.

Don't Put the Conversation Off

If you already know that this is going to be a tough conversation with your aging adult, you might be tempted to just ignore it for a while. The problem is that can make the whole thing so much worse. The earlier that you have these difficult discussions the easier it will be to come to a resolution that suits both of you. Approach the topic openly and with compassion.

Remember Your Senior's Feelings

Your senior has a reason for feeling negatively about having home care providers around, but it may not be easy for you to get to the bottom of that reason. It's important that you let her know that how she feels about the issue is important to you, even if you don't understand it just yet. Let her talk and listen to what she's telling you. You may still need to do some detective work, but you can find clues when you listen well.

Don't Give Up

Giving up isn't an option in this situation. Whether you're there with her or not, clearly your senior needs some extra help. You can't ignore that fact when you're making these decisions. You don't want to nag your elderly family member, because that doesn't solve anything, but you do need to revisit the topic until you get to a resolution.

Give Your Senior Options

In the end, you may need to give your aging family member some options from which she can choose. Having home care providers available during certain times of the day, such as early in the day when she's getting up and then later in the day to get ready for bed, could be one option. That way you know that she's getting help when she's most likely to need it, even if she's not thrilled with the idea. Giving her choices helps her to feel more in control of the situation.

There may still be objections from your aging adult about having home care providers and you might need to simply respect that at some point. That doesn't mean that you're completely on your own, it just means that you and your senior may have to agree to disagree.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING HIRING IN-HOME CARE SERVICES IN DEARBORN PARK, IL, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT BRIGHTSTAR CARE CHICAGO. CALL TODAY: 312.382.8888.