One of the toughest things an adult child might face is trying to convince his or her mother or father to at least think about elder care. Yet, as our parents get older, there will come a time when they need to seriously begin having these conversations.
Or, at least talking about them.
Elder care can be incredibly beneficial for someone of advancing years, even if they don’t actually have a medical emergency or weren’t in the hospital recently. Yet most of us don’t think about it until that need is very real, and very pressing.
If you’ve been caring for an aging senior in your life -like your mother or father or a spouse- there are a few strategies that could work in getting them to at least think about it. We’ll highlight three of those ideas that could get you at least considering it for now.
1. Ask what they would like to do.
How many times does an aging senior with diminishing physical ability get asked what they want to do? It’s not often, at least not when referencing certain fun activities. But it’s a great question to ask.
This doesn’t mean you’d be giving them a blank slate of permissions to do whatever they want, but it helps them consider the things they may have given up in recent years because of their limitations.
It also gets those thoughts to come front and center, and when that happens and you begin talking as though at least some of them are still possible, it’s a great way to bring up elder care options.
2. Mention some struggles you’ve noticed they are having lately.
You don’t have to point them out in an obnoxious manner, but mention some specifics about what you’ve witnessed. They know, but sometimes it’s easy to try and cover them up or ignore them.
However, when you notice and they know you’ve noticed, then you can talk about support through elder care.
3. Talk about the future.
When someone is having trouble with their physical abilities as they grow older, it’s not easy to think about the future. But with elder care as an option, you can help them see that the future can be something positive, rather than something to fear.
Elder care comes in many forms, and the great part about discussing it with an aging loved one is you can point out the various options, ultimately leading the conversation back to home care, which is the preferred elder care option out there.
