Having Tough Conversations with Seniors: Starting Home Care Services

Eventually, seniors start to need a little more help with daily life. Whether that happens because of health issues, changes in life circumstances, or because of other reasons, home care services can be the perfect answer. But even when it’s obvious that additional help is needed, that doesn’t make it easy for families to talk about it.

Plan for the Best Time and Place

There may never be a perfect time to talk with a reluctant senior about elder care services. However, when families make an effort to try planning for the best time and place, the conversation is more likely to go better. Finding a quiet and comfortable space and time is a good plan, especially if there are as few distractions as possible.

Lead with Empathy

Every conversation, especially a difficult one, is likely to go easier when the people involved lead with empathy as much as possible. Acknowledging that this is a difficult topic for everyone concerned is important, too. It’s vital to let seniors know that families just want to support and empower them to live as independently as they still can.

Focus on the Benefits

There are tons of benefits to home care for seniors. Emphasizing those benefits, like personalized support from dedicated caregivers, can be enlightening for aging adults. Other benefits include help with daily activities, support with transportation, companionship, and help with household chores.

Make Decisions with the Senior

One big mistake that families can inadvertently make is to start making decisions on behalf of the senior, intending only good things. But that can backfire when seniors don’t feel involved in the decisions that affect their own lives. Families can solve that problem by keeping seniors involved in making those decisions.

Offer Information and Resources

Sometimes these decisions mean multiple conversations and having more information. It can help a lot when seniors get as much information about home care and how it works as they can get. Addressing questions helps to reduce misinformation and clears up potential issues. It’s normal for seniors to be nervous about meeting new people and relying on them for help. Information can make this easier.

Honor Boundaries and Wishes

There might be times when seniors are okay with the idea of working with home care providers, but they have some boundaries that need to be respected. Honoring those boundaries helps seniors to feel safer and allows them to test their comfort levels on their own timeframes. That can help seniors to open up to the idea of accepting help a little more easily.

Set up a Time for Checking in Regularly

Another important thing to remember when seniors are reluctant to accept some help from senior care services is that checking in periodically is helpful. Setting up some regular check-in times can help family caregivers and seniors to talk openly and honestly about what’s working and what isn’t. This makes adjustments easier to make and often more helpful.

Initiating conversations about home care isn’t always easy. With some gentle tactics and armed with information, family caregivers and seniors can come to an agreement that works for everyone involved that helps seniors get the assistance they need.