As your mom gets older, you’ve noticed she’s struggling to do things she used to handle without issue. She can’t walk up and down stairs when carrying a heavy basket of laundry. The gardens are full of weeds. She’s fallen in the bathroom and injured herself. You may even notice that she can’t seem to remember appointments. All of these are signs that she needs elderly care services, but how can you convince her that she can’t safely life at home alone anymore?
Discuss Your Concerns Calmly
When you’re talking about your concerns, always do it gently and focus on the reasons why her safety is your primary concern. Don’t accuse her or threaten, say you want her to be safe, but you want her input every step of the way. Make sure she knows that you want to look into elderly care services and want her to be involved with the decision.
Bring in an Expert
If your mom attends church, have her pastor come to the house to discuss the benefits of a caregiver coming to the home. Your family doctor is another trusted person to consider enlisting for help.
Don’t Rush It
When possible, don’t make your mom think that the services of an elderly care specialist must be hired immediately. Tell her you have time to research services with her and schedule interviews to make sure she’s comfortable. If she’s fallen and needs someone immediately, the hospital social worker can help you point out the reasons she needs help at home.
Put Yourself in Your Mom’s Shoes
Remember to think about how your mom feels. How would you feel if someone presented you with information that you were no longer capable of caring for yourself? How would you want to be addressed? Use your own preferences to guide how you speak to your mom.
Let Her Lead Interviews
When looking into elderly care services, let your mom lead the interviews. She’s the one who will be sharing her home with a caregiver, even if that caregiver is only around for an hour or two per day. She must be comfortable with the caregiver for any elderly care services to really be useful.
Talk to an elderly care at home service provider today. Make sure you focus on the services your mom needs and ask for a trial basis to start. Once you know your mom is comfortable, you can then increase the frequency as needed.
For elderly care in Cherry Hill, NJ, and the surrounding areas, call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (856) 321-1500.
