Tips for Talking About Home Care with an Aging Parent

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Reasons for Home Care

It can be difficult to approach the topic of home care with an aging loved one, and it never feels like the right time. Despite the difficulty in starting the conversation, being proactive is the safest choice, and promptly voicing your concerns prevents your loved one from feeling ambushed later on. Need help getting the talk off the ground? Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of senior care in Toronto, offers the following tips.

Show Sincere Concern & Support

Telling a senior loved one he or she needs help may come across like an accusation. Keep in mind that you are suggesting he or she is no longer capable of taking care of his or herself. Even if that’s true, it is not easy to hear, and no one wants to feel like a burden. In many cases, your elderly family member already knows help is needed but is having trouble asking for support or simply doesn’t want to. Approaching the issue from a place of genuine concern for his or her safety and letting your loved one know you support his or her desire to remain at home can prevent your loved one from going on the defense or shutting down completely.

Discuss the Advantages

It’s often helpful to discuss the many advantages of live-in and hourly home care in Toronto. When discussing care options, know what matters to your loved one most. If being self-sufficient is important, be sure to discuss how care schedules are customized to fit his or her needs and schedule, allowing your loved one to remain in control of his or her daily routine. An emphasis on positive changes makes your loved one more likely to cooperate.

Wait It Out

Discussing home care with a resistant family member can be frustrating. It is important to remember that most reservations come from a place of fear, rather than a desire to be difficult. Change can be scary, and admitting you need help caring for yourself is not an easy thing to do. Be patient, address your loved one’s concerns, and don’t force the topic. Unless your loved one is in a dire situation, give him or her time to reflect on the conversation and come to their own realizations of how home care will actually be beneficial.

We know making the decision to hire home care isn’t easy for seniors or their loved ones. At Home Care Assistance of Toronto, we try to make the process as seamless as possible with 24/7 availability, no long-term contracts, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more about our care services, including comprehensive dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care in Toronto, call our office at (416) 488-8777 and request a complimentary in-home consultation.

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