As a family, you have made the decision to move to in-home assistance for your elderly parent. Bringing a caregiver into the family who has the time and skills to care for an elderly individual, whether they have health complications or not, will allow everyone in your family to move forward with less stress, and more time to enjoy together. But maybe you’re feeling some resistance from your elderly parent. For many seniors, accepting that they require help can be very difficult. It is important that you help and prepare your parent for their transition to allowing assistance into their home.
Communicate. The first step is keeping your parent in the loop. Let them be part of all the discussions your family has leading up to choosing a caregiver. By open communication and letting them voice their opinions and feelings, they will feel less that their independence has been taken.
Reassure. Assure your parent that you are still there, and they will be taken care of. If you or someone else in your family was the primary caregiver before, make sure your parent knows that they are not being abandoned to a stranger.
Take it slow. If you are bringing in a full time caregiver, maybe start slow to ease the transition. Let your parent meet the caregiver first. Your family will want to meet them as well. Make sure everyone feels comfortable with the new lifestyle change this person will bring.
Check in. Talk to your parent a lot, and make sure they are comfortable with the changes. Make sure they know you’re still here.
Highlight. Highlight for your parent the reasons why a caregiver is good for them. This person is a trained professional, who has made their li career about caring for people. They are well equipped to aid your parent in any way. They have the time to be there when necessary, to help with chores in the house, be a companion, drive to appointments, and help with health or mobility issues. Make sure your parent understands that this person is not a stranger – they are a person with the heart of a caregiver, who is going to take great care of them.
As with any transition in life, keeping your family together with good communication and support will help everyone accept the new changes, and realize the ultimate benefit of having in-home assistance.