As your parents grow older, you may notice that they need help getting through the day. Where they once helped you get through the day, now it may be time for you to help them. How can you ensure your parents get the help they need to get through each day successfully? It may be time to talk to your elderly parents about receiving home care services. Let’s look at some ways to help your parents consider home care services.
Tips For Discussing Home Care With Your Parents
- When you ask your parents if they need help at home, tread lightly. After all, they were your caretakers for a long time, and it’s a role reversal. You want to talk to your parents about getting assistance at home, but they may not be ready to ask for help at home. Use these tips when you talk to your parents about home care to keep the conversation respectful and productive:
- Start discussing home care options early: Don’t wait until one of your parents has a health crisis to discuss home care. Ask them early on what kind of personal care they would like if they experience a loss of independence. Let them know you want to discuss home care because you care about them. Tell them you want to honor their wishes if they need any type of senior care to help them maintain a good quality of life.
- Involve them when you choose a home care provider: If you start looking for a home care provider, ask your parents what type of care services they’d like to receive. Let them meet with and interview each provider you consider. When you involve your parents in the provider selection process, they’ll be more satisfied with their provider and care services in the long run.
- Don’t make accusations: Don’t use any recent problems such as forgetfulness or losses of coordination as conversation starters when you discuss home care with your parents. Instead, focus on the benefits of home care and how it will help them complete tasks throughout the day. Establish a respectful tone for the conversation and discuss the positive impact of home care services before you mention any concerns you have about your parents’ well-being.
- Express empathy throughout the process: As your parents become older adults and undergo physical and emotional changes, they may feel frightened or angry about this transition. Let them know you understand these feelings and that they might not be ready to work with a home care provider yet. Talk to them about how these changes make them feel, and let them know that you’re ready to help them in any way you can. If you show empathy from the beginning, the process of talking with them about using home care services will go more smoothly than if you don’t empathize with them.
How Does AVCC Help Your Parents Access Home Care?
We help Veterans and surviving spouses connect to local home care providers in our nationwide network. We also help them access the VA pensions with the Aid and Attendance benefit to help them pay for their home care services. We screen Veterans and surviving spouses for their Aid and Attendance qualifications, which include needing help with the activities of daily living. If your Veteran qualifies, we help them apply for the benefit and put them in touch with a home care provider in their area who meets their needs. We help Veteran or surviving spouse parents stay in their homes for as long as possible.
Discover Local Home Care Providers With AVCC
If you want to connect your Veteran or surviving spouse parents with home care providers in your area, reach out to us today. We help your parents stay in their homes so they can live on their terms as they age. We understand that you’re shouldering new responsibilities as an adult child caring for elderly parents, and we provide the resources you need to help take care of them in their later years.
