How to Help Your Aging Parents Adjust to Elder Care Services
In-home care can be a great alternative to moving to an assisted living community because it offers the medical care and housekeeping assistance your loved one needs without giving up the comfort and familiar surroundings of home. However, there may still be a difficult transition period as your elderly parent adjusts to having someone new in the house and accepting help with tasks they used to be able to handle themselves.
The aging process can bring about many changes for your loved one and limit their ability to care for themselves and their home. Additionally, they may face new or worsening health issues that make it even more difficult to live independently at home. Therefore, it is important to regularly check in with your elderly parents and assess whether it’s time to consider hiring an in-home caregiver. When you do decide it’s time to utilize elder care services, follow these helpful tips for making the adjustment easier for your whole family.
Visit Your Elderly Parents Often
It’s not uncommon for elderly parents to fear that when their families hire a caregiving service, they will no longer feel obligated to visit. However, the opposite may be true. With a professional handling your loved one’s basic care needs, you can focus on spending more quality time together when you visit. Because visits will become easier and less stressful, you may feel compelled to see your parents more often.
It’s important to visit elderly loved ones often, especially early on during the transition to implementing elder care services. Focus on keeping the visits lighthearted and social, and don’t hesitate to include your loved one’s caregiver in casual conversations, card games, and other activities. It can be helpful for your parent to socialize with their new caregiver in a group setting with familiar faces so they begin to feel more comfortable with their care provider and enjoy their companionship.
Involve Your Parents in Caregiving Decisions
One reason elderly parents tend to resist elder care services is that they feel they’ve lost their independence and are no longer in charge of their own lives. While the decision to bring in a caregiver may be non-negotiable, you can still involve your parent in key decisions surrounding their in-home care. For example, you might have your parents involved in interviewing potential caregivers or researching in-home care providers in your local area.
It can be challenging for parents to accept their child’s new role as a caretaker and decision-maker in their lives, so make an effort to keep them included in decisions and have open conversations surrounding their care.
Communicate With Your Parent’s Caregiver
Your parent’s caregiver will quickly get to know your parent and learn what challenges they face and what they’re feeling on a daily basis. So, they can be a helpful resource in offering support and comfort to your parent as they ease into the routine of having elder care services at home.
Make a point to communicate with your parent’s caregiver regularly so you can be alerted to various social opportunities, material needs, or physical and emotional challenges your parent may have. It is also essential for the caregiver to have contact information for nearby family members should any emergency situations arise.
Establish Daily Routines
Elderly individuals tend to respond well to consistent routines, so as you establish elder care services, you can begin to build daily routines with your parent to help them adjust. For example, having consistent mealtimes, medications, and other daily activities will provide a sense of comfort and consistency.
Expect Some Ups and Downs
Adjusting to any change in their living situation may be difficult for aging parents, so expect that there may be some days when they are more resistant or grumpy. These emotional difficulties are normal, so anticipate some highs and lows and approach the bad days with compassion and understanding.
At New Outlook Home Care, we provide compassionate, dignified elder care services that don’t make your loved one feel like a burden but instead like a part of our family. Our in-home care providers are highly trained and passionate about what they do. We serve families in Medford, Oregon, and within a 60-mile radius of our headquarters.
With services including housekeeping assistance, medication management, personal care, meal prep, and companionship, we ensure that your loved one’s needs are met so they can continue living in the comfortable surroundings of home. To schedule an in-home care consultation for your aging parent, contact us online or call 541-500-7430.
