When you realize that your elderly loved one may need in-home healthcare, it can be an overwhelming experience. You want to make sure your loved one receives the level of care they need, but cannot provide it yourself. Whether they’ve experienced a bad fall or they have been struggling to take their medication on time, you have a tough conversation ahead of you that you may be dreading. If your senior loved one is resistant to change, you might anticipate that they won’t react well to this suggestion. However, it is worth the difficulty to ensure that they get the care that they need, and if you approach the conversation the right way, it doesn’t have to be extremely stressful. In this blog, we will offer some tips for making this conversation go as smoothly as possible.

Be Tactful

This conversation may be uncomfortable for you, but just imagine how your elderly loved one feels. It is incredibly vulnerable to admit that you need help, and agreeing to home health care may simply feel like the next step towards the end of their lives. This is a sensitive subject, so it needs to be approached with tact. Take some time to plan exactly what you want to say. Be specific about what areas you think they need help in — for example, they may need someone to remind them to take their medication, cook meals for them, or transport them to medical appointments. It may be easier to have an open dialogue if you are specific with your concerns.

Be Honest About Your Feelings

When you’re having this discussion, let your loved one know exactly how you are feeling about their health and safety. Your happiness is important to them, and if they know that your worry about them is impacting your life, it may be what they need to hear to be more open-minded about the discussion.

Listen

You have their best interests at heart, but ultimately, the decision to hire an in-home health care worker impacts them more than you. They are the one who will be interacting with this person on a daily basis, after all. Therefore, it is very important to let them voice their concerns and to take them into serious consideration. Ask open-ended questions and listen to what they have to say. They should not feel coerced into this important decision.

Compromise

If, after a long conversation, your loved one is still hesitant, you might need to present a compromise. Consider hiring someone on a trial basis with the understanding that if your loved one still feels uncomfortable after a certain period of time, they can opt out of care. In most cases, they will see how helpful their home health care aide is and will want to continue with the services, giving you peace of mind.

At Gulf Shore Private Home Care, we understand that talking to your loved one about private duty nursing isn’t easy. We would be happy to help ease this transition by providing your loved one with the compassionate care they need. Contact us today to learn more about our private duty nursing and other home health care services in Naples!