What Does Your Senior Still Believe about Elder Care?
If your elderly family member is avoiding talking about having extra help from elder care providers, she might still believe some statements about having help. Sifting through those beliefs and getting to the reality of what this type of assistance can do for your senior might help her to be more open to the idea of having the help that she needs.
Help Makes Her Less Independent
Lots of people believe that having extra help means that they’ll be less independent and less able to manage their own lives. That’s really not the case, though. What happens with elder care support is that your senior gets only the help that she needs. If there are things that she still wants or needs to do on her own, she’s able to do so. No one is going to try to keep her from doing things she’s able to do.
Home Care Is Only for Extremely Needy Folks
Another belief that can keep your senior from accepting help is that only people in need of extreme help receive it at home. While people who are very sick or who have extreme difficulty handling daily tasks definitely need help, that doesn’t have to be the only requirement. Elder care services are flexible enough to meet your senior wherever she is with her needs.
Having Help Is Embarrassing
Your elderly family member might also feel as if having or needing assistance is embarrassing for her to admit. But everyone needs help now and again. It’s also important for your senior to understand that caregivers aren’t there to make fun of her or to make her feel bad or awkward for needing help. They’re there to offer assistance without judgment and without causing your senior to feel embarrassed for needing assistance.
She’ll Have to Rearrange Her Schedule
Odds are good that your senior enjoys her routines as they are. And if those routines are working well for her, there’s no real reason for her to change them. She might worry that having elder care providers stopping by might mean that she has to change everything about how her days run. That isn’t the case, though. Home care providers are there to work in her schedule and on her time, not to rearrange her entire life.
Elder Care Only Helps with Certain Things
Your elderly family member could still believe that elder care providers only help with complicated tasks or specific medical needs. But if what your senior really needs is help with one specific task, like keeping her home free of tripping hazards or having someone there while she eats, that’s certainly part of how they can help her. Your elderly family member’s needs are unique and so too is the help that she can receive.
Helping your elderly family member to be more comfortable with the idea of having help from elder care services might involve simply letting her experience them for herself, in her own time. Offering her a trial run can help to alleviate a lot of anxiety.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Fairfax, VA please contact the caring staff at Thrive Health Care Services today. (703) 992-0484