Can You Help Your Senior to Stay Independent?
One of your senior’s goals might be to stay independent, but what does she really mean by that? If she means that she doesn’t want any help at all, that might be difficult for her to achieve. But if she’s willing to share her definition, you can help her with her goals.
Define Independence First
Senior Care Springfield, PA:Help Your Senior to Stay Independent
Before you and your senior can make headway on keeping her as independent as she wants to be, you need to know what she considers the definition of independence to be. She might see herself doing far more than she really should or than she’s able to do. Whereas you just want to help her, not take over for her. Getting a definition ensures that you’re both on the same page.
Practice a Hands-off Approach
To show that you respect your senior’s definition, you need to adopt a hands-off approach to her activities. This doesn’t mean that you’re in the dark or that you don’t know what’s going on. On the contrary, it means that you are aware and you’re letting her handle what she can handle. When she asks for help, you’re there to pitch in.
Keep the Focus on What She Is Able to Do
It’s really important that your elderly family member focuses on what she can do rather than on what she’s not able to do. Focusing on the skills or abilities she’s lost might be a bit on the negative side for her and it can keep her from seeing what she does still have the ability to handle. Finding solutions that help her to work around what’s difficult is a key way to respect her independence while still offering assistance.
Find Ways to Help Her Accept Assistance
All of that said, it’s difficult for some people to accept a little help, even when they need it. Working with senior care providers can sometimes be a great way for your senior to learn how to accept help more readily. It’s easier for her to decline help from you or from other family members, but sometimes it’s more difficult to say no to a stranger.
Your senior’s definition of independence may vary over time and that’s okay. What really matters is that she’s able to do what she needs and wants to do in order to have the quality of life that she wants. Between you and senior care services, she should be able to do most of what she wants.
If you or an aging loved one are considering a Senior Care in Springfield, PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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