How to Help a Senior Be Comfortable with Home Care
It’s difficult to accept help, especially if you’re used to being self-sufficient. If your parent or relative is determined to stay in their own space, home care may be the best option. At Santé, our home health care program helps seniors retain their independence while addressing their physical and emotional needs.
However, not every senior embraces the idea of in-home medical and personal care. If your loved one is resistant to getting home health care, here are some ways you can help them become more comfortable with accepting help.
- Position Home Care as an Option: If your loved one doesn’t feel pressured or trapped, they are more likely to embrace home care as a solution. Broach the subject as an option, not a requirement, concentrating on how home health care could improve their quality of life and free up time for spending with friends and family.
- Get Mom or Dad Involved: Your elderly parent will appreciate being included in the decision-making process. Bring mom or dad along to tour Santé’s facilities. Make sure they’re included in meetings with medical teams and potential home health care workers. Your parent’s home health care team could include medical social workers, physical therapists and skilled nurses, so make sure your parent knows everyone they will encounter.
- Open the Lines of Communication: Have an honest talk with your senior about their reluctance to get in-home care. Does dad fear being treated like a child? Is mom embarrassed at the cluttered state of her house? Many obstacles to home care can be addressed in advance. Houses can be cleaned or de-cluttered, and meetings with staff arranged to talk through concerns. Santé’s caring and compassionate staff members understand that accepting help can be difficult, so we want to make this process as easy as possible for your loved one.
- Focus on the Benefits: Home health care gives seniors more control over how they live their lives. Patients can continue everyday activities in comfortable surroundings, with a little assistance. When you’re talking about home health care to a senior, focus on benefits like:
- Getting necessary medical care such as testing, wound care or occupational/speech/physical therapy without having to go to a doctor’s office
- Help with chores or tasks they find difficult
- Having more privacy vs. a facility or hospital
- Staying independent
- Receiving emotional and physical support
- Consider Alternatives: You’ll probably be the most successful if your loved one feels they have made the “final” decisions on home care. Talk through other options such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities or round-the-clock family assistance with mom or dad. Discuss pros and cons of each situation, and ask which option they prefer.
- Provide Reassurance: Ultimately, mom or dad might just need to know that you’re on their side. Reassure your loved one that you will still help and/or visit when you can. Let them know that it’s ok to need help – and that you’re in this together, and will be there to make sure everything is going well with the new services.
When you were young, mom or dad spent much of their time working, planning, scheduling or taking care of the household. After you left the nest (and perhaps started a family of your own), they adapted and built a new daily routine. Now, your loved one is finding it difficult to continue with everyday tasks. Perhaps their memory isn’t what it used to be, or an illness or injury has slowed their pace – yet they simply can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Santé Home Health Care is an excellent option for seniors who want to live independently while getting the medical care and assistance they need. With a little time and experience, your mom or dad will hopefully understand (and maybe even enjoy) the benefits of in-home care. Call 480-563-2402 or contact us online for more information about our home health care options.