Talking to your parent about the need for senior care is hard enough. When your mom refuses to listen, you’ll feel helpless. What do you do when any conversations about the need for caregivers are met with anger and refusal?
Enlist the Help of Her Friends.
Talk to your mom’s friends. See if any of them get senior care services. For those who do, ask them to tell your mom about the services they get and why it’s helping them be independent at home. As she starts to hear stories from people she trusts, she may become more open to the idea of hiring a caregiver to help her around the house.
Be Patient.
You might not get through to her in one day. Keep talking to her when she’ll listen and stop when she gets agitated. If she brings it up on her own, continue the conversation but make sure you’re listening to her fears and worries without being judgmental.
Ask Her What She’d Want.
Ask your mom what she wants. She knows she can’t do the laundry by herself. Ask her what she wants to do to make sure her sheets, towels, and clothing get washed. If she says you can do it for her, explain your schedule and why that doesn’t work for you. You have to put your kids, pets, significant other, and self first or you’ll be in the same situation.
Suggest a Trial Run.
Your mom might be more amenable to hiring caregivers if she thinks it’s a trial run. Agree that if she’s not happy after a few weeks, you’ll look at other options. You may find that after a few weeks, she likes her caregiver and can’t imagine life without senior care services.
If she is still unhappy, you can look at a different caregiver. You could also let your mom take a break for a week or two and then try again.
Try to Walk in Her Shoes.
You likely remember the book To Kill a Mockingbird from your school days. Think to the lesson Atticus taught his kids about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes before reacting or judging. That’s important when talking about senior care services. Consider how you’d feel if you were in your mom’s shoes.
Your mom may not love the idea of needing help. She’s likely one of many seniors who think senior care services will take away independence. Make sure she knows that the goal of home care is to help a senior maintain independence for many, many years.
If you or an aging loved one needs senior care in Granite Bay, CA, remember Senior Home Care Services. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
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