At one point in your life, dealing with your aging parents can pose more trouble than you think because of all the additional challenges that spring about along the way.
While looking after your mom or dad (or even both of them) seems to be no more than being patient during walks or getting special food at first, things may have become more difficult over time. With only so much time on your hands and a growing set of needs coming from your elderly parents, there will come a point where you can no longer save face and play along.
Now that you’ve understood that you can’t dedicate any more time or effort to helping out your elderly loved one, the opportunity to get a caregiver to help you will become more appealing. Unfortunately, while you might be on board with the idea itself, your mom or dad won’t be so enthusiastic—so what can you do?
The Path of Total (Parental) Resistance
Here’s a quick reality check that you should know about: parents often find it quite difficult to accept that they’ll need help from a caregiver sooner or later, but it’s hard to blame them.
It may seem like a reasonable step to you, but it can seem like a scary thought for your mom or dad because getting a professional involves giving up their independence. To make matters worse, actually having a caregiver help them out can make them feel like they’ve reached a point of no return where they can never be self-sufficient.
With the assortment of feelings in the balance, convincing your elderly parent to go along willingly with your plan of leaving them in the hands of a caregiver can make for an emotional and exhausting experience.
Dealing with the Problem at Hand
When confronted with the emotions that stem from the adjustment process, most people that urge their elderly parents to accept the services of a caregiver end up being dumbfounded over what they need to do. If you find yourself in such a situation, where your older loved one doesn’t want to accept the solution you’re extending to them, here are a few tips that can help you:
Tip #1: Come from a Place of Love—and Emphasize It
If you want to fully convince your elderly mom or dad that letting a caregiver tend to their needs is the best solution for them, then you must make them feel it by coming from a place of love. By simply showing you’re coming from a place of concern (while meaning it in every way possible), you can manage the situation with the patience, compassion, and understanding necessary for success!
Tip #2: Be Clear About How It Can Help You as Well
The one mistake that too many people make when suggesting the idea of caregiving to their parents is that they spend more time beating around the bush than being honest. As brutal as it may sound, being upfront with the importance of the service will help you tap into the protective side that your parents have so that they can agree with you.
Tip #3: Focus on the Positives
Given the stigma surrounding the concept of caregiving, it can be easy for older parents to think about the negatives involved, but they are often not aware of the positives. If you want to make your older mom or dad more amenable to the idea of getting a caregiver, then you should emphasize the positives of the experience so that they can get on board!
Conclusion
There will come a time when you can no longer take on the various needs that come with caring for your older parents, and the only way to keep up is by hiring a caregiver. Yet, getting them on board isn’t as easy as you would hope it to be. Fortunately, using the three tips mentioned above will allow you to ease the idea so that your elderly loved ones take the news much better with minimal resistance!
Gateway Home Health is a home care agency in Colorado Springs. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services!