The need for self-autonomy is ingrained within human beings, even in old age. Therefore, you might find it hard to convince your parents that they need assistance.

Convincing your elderly parents that they need help is a difficult task. Besides, when choosing the best form of Care for family members, it is vital that you do as much research as possible into all the different options such as in-home or residential care. First, you naturally feel guilty to tell them that you feel that they can no longer depend on themselves. This means that you are forced to assume such responsibilities, even if you have time constraints. Additionally, parents may feel that the introduction of external help will strip them of their independence.

Eventually, you become overwhelmed and can’t balance between your personal tasks and taking care of your parents.  All of this could be avoided if you’d have called in help on time.

The following are tips on how to convince your parents that they need help without appearing noisome.

Picking the Ideal Location

If you want to be successful, your parents should not have a sentiment about the place you chose to deliver such news from. This is because of the sensitivity of this subject.

Ideally, the location should be a neutral place with minimal distractions.

Ask Leading Questions

Asking leading questions is a proven way of easing people into potentially sensitive discussions. This approach can also be extended into persuading your aged parents onto accepting external help. For instance, you could ask your parents if they can comfortably handle household chores. If the answer is no, you can tell them how a caretaker would assist them in accomplishing day-to-day activities.

However, asking too many questions may make your parents uneasy because they might feel that their personal space is being invaded.

Evaluate Local Options

Before telling your parents that you wish to employ a helper for them, it is advisable to explore local service providers. Having knowledge of the services offered within your locale makes it easier to come up with recommendations for your parents. Also, it is simpler to convince a person to enroll for a program when you have thorough details of its advantages and the features it offers.

Highlight the Advantages

People are much likelier to agree with an idea if they find that its positives are relatable to their situation. Thus, if you point out the advantages of old-age care homes to your parents, they will certainly drop the concerns about losing their independence. For example, you can tell them how the assistants will deliver food to them, thereby freeing up more time for recreational activities. Also, going to care homes will allow you to focus on your personal life.

Involve a Respected Family Figure

Most families have an individual who is respected and everybody takes heed of their words. If that isn’t you, you should probably involve that person to increase your chances of success.  It might be your sibling, close relative, a family friend, or even a religious leader.

Inform Family Members

Another method of persuading your parents that they need help is through informing your siblings, albeit beforehand. When you notify immediate family members of your intentions and reach a consensus, it is much easier to collectively convince your elderly parents. On the other hand, if your opinions are different, your parents will be confused and may end up rejecting the proposal to join care homes.

Be Careful with Words

The terminologies you use in discussing an issue as touchy as this has an effect on the outcome of the process. For example, there is a negative perception about terms such as ‘nursing homes.’ Instead of using such words, you should use terms that paint a positive picture about the facilities for old people, such as caring home and so forth.

Involve Parents in Decision-making

For parents who are already reluctant to go accept help, choosing a caring home for them will feel like you’re taking a step too far. Thus, if you are parents are open to the idea of joining care homes, you should at least let them select their desired facility. Inclusion in the decision-making process makes them happy, which all of us want our parents to be.

Introduce Care Gradually

In cases where parents are adamant that they don’t need help, the best course of action is introducing such care gradually. For instance, you can start with small tasks such as delivering groceries and house cleaning. As time goes by, you can move on to the more demanding jobs.

The essence of this method is to allow the parents to experience the benefits of having a little extra help. Once these advantages become apparent, you will have an easy time integrating help on a full-time basis.

Seek Help from Doctors

While your parents may be hesitant to accept your recommendations, the same does not apply to a doctor’s advice. Naturally, most people hold the advice given by medical experts in high regard. Thus, when a doctor is involved in discussions about joining care homes, your parents are more likely to accept.

Treat Them Like Adults

They might be old, but they are still adults capable of making decisions on their own. This should resonate in your mind throughout the entire talk with your parents.  When talking about caring for the elderly, it important to ensure that your parents don’t feel like you are looking down upon them.

To avoid making your parents feel disrespected, it is advisable to tell them that they are much safer in care homes than in their own premises.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the decision to get home care lies with your parents.  There is nothing more you can do other than trying your best to be persuasive.

If you manage to convince your parent to get help, you should ensure that the chosen care is appropriate. Since the objective is to improve the living condition for your aged parents, the caregiver must demonstrate their ability to afford the best possible experiment for the elderly. Otherwise, your parents will end up stressed and worse off than they were without the help. However, there are chances that your parents do not get convinced to accept your assistance. It might seem difficult, but you can still help by introducing them to websites and blogs (Seniors Joy, for example) which has senior citizen friendly resources. Such websites provide curated products and services suited for the elderly; it could aid them well in their day-to-day needs.

Katie
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