Five Pointers for Talking to Your Family Member about Growing Older
If you’ve been putting off conversations about aging with your elderly family member, the time may be here for you to stop procrastinating. Using these tips can help you both to have a better conversation.
Home Care Havertown PA – Five Pointers for Talking to Your Family Member about Growing Older
Organize Your Thoughts and Concerns
These types of conversations can get highly emotional. It’s easy to get distracted and even to forget some of the most important considerations you want to mention. For instance, your senior’s safety is likely your biggest concern, but once you start talking with her, you might forget to bring up any of your safety concerns. If you’ve got a list you can refer to, it’s easier to remember what you’re trying to say.
Stick to the Overall Topic at Hand
There are some big similarities for anyone having these kinds of talks no matter what the underlying situation is. Some of the topics you’re probably going to talk about include overall health, safety, keeping your senior independent, and helping her where she needs it most. Try not to let yourself get derailed.
Remind Her You’re Just Concerned
Lots of times aging adults get defensive or upset with these sorts of conversations. You might need to remind your elderly family member that you’re just concerned. This is about helping her in the best way possible rather than trying to change her life or take anything away from her.
Put Yourself in Your Senior’s Shoes
If you find yourself feeling frustrated or upset at any point, try to put yourself in your elderly family member’s place. Her life is changing in ways that you might not fully understand yet and that can be really scary. She may worry that you’re not going to be there for her in the ways that you’re telling her that you will be. Caregiving is a big responsibility and there’s a lot of trust involved on both sides of the equation.
Listen as Much as Possible
Although you have a lot of very valid things to say during this conversation, try to listen more than you talk. This can help your elderly family member to understand that you mean it when you tell her that you want to be there for her. It also gives you valuable insights into why your senior feels the way that she feels.
Once you open up the conversation, it becomes much easier to find solutions that can work for your senior. Hiring home care providers is an answer to a great many situations, for instance. Getting to the point where you know what you need home care to do for you and your senior is crucial.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Havertown 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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