As a family caregiver, when you realize that your parents or grandparents now need assistance in carrying out certain day-to-day tasks, getting some help in the form of in-home care services is not a bad idea.
After consulting with other family members and a certified professional holding an aged care certificate 3, when you break this news to your elders, they refuse to accept help outright. And forcing this decision on them may take a toll on their mental health.
The major reason behind initial inhibition are as follows:
- Fear of losing independence
- Unable to accept the huge lifestyle change
- Difficulty in bonding with a stranger, let alone depending on them for their daily chores.
Therefore, to move towards a better quality of life, here are some tips that you can use to convince them.
- Patience: Patiently deal with your parents’ resistance to accepting help. Sit with them and explain in detail the benefits of getting in-home care help. You may also discuss alternatives like nursing homes.
- Reassurance: Elderly people resent the loss of the physical and mental abilities that they used to have. Therefore, to them, accepting external assistance means that their loved ones will no longer respect them. In such a scenario, family members need to reassure them of their self-esteem and respect.
- Personal Introductions: Instead of letting some stranger caregiver start with the task, take time to introduce them personally to the patient. This will help to break the ice between them. Give them a tour of your parent’s house along with your parents to help them understand the household routine and location of supplies.
- Ask caregiver for feedback: A professional care provider with aged care certificate 3 will be able to give feedback about any issues or specific situations concerning your parent and accordingly you need to act upon the information provided. For instance, if the elderly person is not cooperating in meal planning, you may discuss with them their concerns and try to resolve them with patience.
- Remain Respectful: No matter how hard a time your parents give you in agreeing to accept external help, always remain respectful of their opinions and desire for independence. After all, they had been independent all their life till now and taught you how to live independently.
- Discuss health concerns with the physician: Your parent’s physician would always be the best person to judge that when they need aged care help and guide you and the caregiver appropriately.
Bottomline
It is easy neither for you as a family caregiver nor for your elderly member of the family to deal with this situation that arises with impending old age. Therefore, discussing this life-changing decision with your parent and hiring a professional with aged care certificate 3 in Melbourne must be done with utmost care so that they can enjoy a better quality of life.
Resource URL: https://wiredgeneral.wordpress.com/2021/11/12/useful-tips-to-convince-parents-to-accept-in-home-care-help/
