Crossing the Line: Telling an Elderly Individual they Need Help

For some older people, the dilemma they face is whether or not they are going to have to go to a nursing home or whether they can get by with home health care services that provide many of the same benefits in the more comfortable setting of their own home. However, there are some elderly individuals out there that are not going to want to hear that they need an in-home care provider to get by for their everyday benefit. There are ways that you can address this sometimes sensitive subject.

You very well may get resistance when you are telling an elderly person that they could benefit from elder care services. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. You’re telling an adult that they are no longer capable of taking care of themselves. That can be pretty hard to take, no matter how old and frail you are. When you breach this topic, be respectful. Explain to them that a senior home healthcare provider may be necessary not because they are incompetent, but simply because it gets harder to take care of ourselves as we get older. You may also want to explain that, in reality, anyone who can use a companionship aide rather than going to a full care facility is really quite lucky. Senior care service providers that offer their services in the elderly individual’s own homes are not only providing a service that is more comfortable but that is actually healthier. There’s no need to worry about being exposed to dangerous illnesses and infections, such as is the case in some nursing homes and in hospitals. Whether or not an elderly individual needs a little bit of assistance getting in and out of bed, making meals and so forth, they’re still doing all of those things in their own homes in that makes all the difference as far as comfort and, to some extent, dignity go.   Be open-minded to the idea that you may not convince someone that they could benefit from home caregivers the first time you sit down and tell them about it. It may take a little bit of persuasion. You might also want to arrange a meeting between a home care agency and your loved one so that your loved one can get an idea of how professional the people actually are and that getting a bit of assistance does not mean the same thing as being told that you are incompetent.