Support your parents in their decision to have home care

How to support your parents in their decision to have home care.

Having spent time with family at Christmas you may have seen that maybe your parents need more help to keep them independent at home. This can be a difficult time with emotional challenges and practical implications. As well as wondering what caused the decline in health, one of the greatest challenges is addressing their resistance to accept help.

For many people, particularly those who have lived independently their whole lives, accepting intrusions such as daily visits from a carer or wearing an alarm can feel humiliating and as though they’re losing their dignity.

For an adult child, it is hard not to feel helpless and exasperated at what may appear to be your parent shutting his eyes to the obvious.

So what can you do to address this problem? Here are some things to consider:Supporting your parents

Understand their fears and anxieties

Your parents may be worried that admitting they need help will led to them having to move in to residential care. Also the worry about having someone in their home is another thing that can be worrying to your parents.

Give them back some control

Make sure that the discussion about needing care does not become a battle. Find out about local companies get some brochures, find some testimonies and then discuss it with them. Letting them have a say in who will care for them.

Be realistic about the risks

No doubt you will have had sleepless nights worrying about your elderly parent having a fall and being found after three days without anyone noticing. But ask yourself how realistic this is? If you can involve neighbours and ask them to knock on the door a few times a week, that simple check-in can reduce these risks and give you some peace of mind. Having someone you can contact allows you to keep a closer eye on your parents without looking over protective.

Accept that some carers may not be appropriate

What kind of people have your parents gotten along with over the course of their life? What do they enjoy talking about? Are there home care companies who could help with tasks such as gardening or simple companionship? At My Care at Home we fork hard at finding a carer who shares interests with your parent so there’s more friendship and mutual interest in each other.

But most of all talk to your parents and make sure you listen to what they want out of home care. To find out more about the services that we provide please call us on 01449 763086. We are happy to discuss any worries or concerns you have about finding that perfect home care package.