Home Care: You’ve been trying to convince your aging father to consider home care.
Yet, he is stubborn, at least in your estimation. Maybe it’s not about stubbornness, but rather a lack of information. When it comes to home care, most people have a certain idea of what it might be, but no real facts to back them up.
Some people, even though they have never really looked into home care before, might be pretty accurate with their assumptions, but that doesn’t mean your father is one of them. Even if he does understand what home care is in a basic sense, there are so many benefits it can offer, but what if he doesn’t listen to you?
There are actually several things you can do that might help him understand why home care might be best at this juncture in his life.
First, talk about the things he struggles to do still.
There might be a number of things your father still enjoys doing or would like to do, but he no longer does them because of physical limitations or health issues.
Are they possible with a home care aide supporting him? You might not know this, so reach out to a home care agency and find out directly. You may be surprised to learn that these very things your father would still love to do (or still tries to do, even though they might not be safe for him to do alone) are possible with the support of an experienced home care provider.
While some people don’t want to listen when you talk about the things they struggle with or the things they have been told or have discovered they can no longer do on their own, when you talk about them in a sense as though they can still be done, it can pique his interest.
This is a great way to start the conversation.
Second, ask him what his thoughts are about professional, experienced home care support.
With this direct question, you can learn a lot about his preconceived notions. Maybe even his prejudices about home care.
Allow him to speak. Don’t try to argue with him or correct him, even about anything he says, or what he’s talking. If you try to interrupt him, you will only create frustration and tension in that conversation.
Wait until he’s done speaking (listen), then you will have a good idea about where he is coming from emotionally and mentally. That can allow you to move to the third point in this blog.
Third, explain the facts about home care.
Once you have an idea about what your father thinks or ‘knows’ about home care, you can then explain what it really is, what it really offers, and what it really provides as far as benefits are concerned.
When you sit down and do these three things, you will be able to more effectively communicate what home care can offer the elderly person in your life whom you would like to see supported and safe at home.