Considering Senior Care? 3 Tips For Broaching The Subject
Posted on: 28 April 2019
Adult children who are participating in or responsible for the care of one or both of their elderly parents are part of a large, rapidly growing demographic in today's America. Most are children of parents who were born into the baby boomer generation. This generation spanned the post-World War II era from 1946 through 1964 and created one of the largest generations in our country's history.
Known for their streak of independence, many of these baby boomer parents may be unwilling or even afraid to consider transitioning into senior care. If you are an adult child who is currently struggling to provide care for your older parent and worried about how you will cope in the future, here are some tips to help you broach the timely subject of senior care.
Begin the conversation early
If you know that your elderly parent or parents will instantly reject the idea of senior care, you will want to begin a casual conversation about the possibility as early as possible. A good way to start the conversation is often to take your elderly parent to visit someone they know who is already living in senior care. Just having the opportunity to see the facility and meet some of the staff can be very helpful in dealing with any unfounded fears or concerns they may have about this type of elder care.
Respect their opinion
Allowing your elderly parent to take part in choosing the possible facilities and deciding what to do about their current home and furnishings can also be very helpful in keeping them engaged in the process. If possible, consider asking their medical care provider to also assist you with answering their questions or helping them understand why a senior care facility would be safer and healthier for them in this stage of life.
Choose a convenient location
As an adult caregiver to your parent, you have likely become someone that they depend on, both physically and emotionally. Because of this, it is important that you stay very involved in their lives. A good way to do this is to choose a senior care facility in a location that will be convenient for you to stop by often to visit or take your parent to run errands or grab some lunch.
Helping your elderly parent or parents transition into senior care will likely be difficult. To learn more about the process and available options, make an appointment to speak with the administrator of each senior care facility you are considering or visit local facilities like Americana Senior Care.
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