In an ideal world, we could neatly compartmentalize our caregiving duties, sticking to a routine that met the needs of a senior loved one, while allowing the time required to manage our myriad of other responsibilities. But of course, life doesn’t follow our desired script, and conflicting needs are every day when caring for an aging parent. As a result, many older adults balk at the need for help. At the same time, others may come to rely too heavily on an adult child, leading to unmet expectations and frustration for both parties of a caregiving relationship.
The aging care experts at Modern Health Home Care offer the following tips to help clarify expectations of the relationship and communicate effectively:
Focus on empathy. Pause and empathize rather than pulling away from an older loved one whose demands seem unreasonable. Think through the difficulties your parent is facing and how it would feel to be in their shoes. Then communicate your sincere concern and desire to help.
Allow each other to be heard. Initiate a dialogue with your loved one, inviting them to express how it feels to need care and what kind of care is required. Establish the senior’s expectations, and then share your expectations and limitations in fully meeting their needs.
Compromise to come to a solution. Reaching a resolution that works for both of you may be more manageable. For instance, if the senior expects help with transportation according to a particular schedule several times a week, perhaps you can provide that assistance one day while enlisting the help of others to cover additional days. This allows for enhanced socialization for the senior and the healthy life balance you need.
Modern Health Home Care supports family caregivers with highly skilled, carefully matched care professionals who are passionate about making life the very best it can be for older adults. Working together with Modern Health Home Care enables adult children to ensure their aging parents are well cared for. A customized care plan could involve filling in with respite care where needed, around-the-clock supervision, or any number of solutions. Just some of the many ways we can help include:
Safe, accompanied transportation
Running errands
Planning and preparing nutritious meals
Housekeeping
Offering friendly companionship and socialization
Creative and highly specialized care for those with dementia
And more to meet individual needs
Call us at 2115.995.2012 to share the challenges you’re facing and to let us customize a plan to meet your needs. Our highly trained care professionals are available to provide a free assessment. Contact us to explore options for senior care in Philadelphia and surrounding communities.
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