Are you parents forgetting to eat meals or occasionally leaving the oven on? Are bills going unpaid? Have one or both of them taken a nasty fall that leaves you worried about their safety?
Since nearly 90% of people over 65 want to stay in their home, according to an AARP survey, it may be time to talk to your parents about in-home care. To make a difficult conversation easier, here are some tips to steer the conversation in the right direction.
#1. Don’t tell Mom or Dad they need a Home Aide. Suggest a Personal Assistant or Companion.
Face it, Mom or Dad don’t want to lose their independence. Instead of saying, “You need help,” ask them if they could use a Companion or Personal Aide. For example, someone to help them continue doing what they want and like to do, such as driving to yoga, PT or the grocery store. Or do the chores they no longer enjoy, such as cooking delicious meals or cleaning the bathroom.
#2. Make sure your parents feel that they control the process.
Your Mom or Dad will be spending a lot of time with the Home Aide, so make sure they are part of the vetting process. Do they want someone to chat with? To play cards with? Discuss the chores they’d like the Caregiver to help with, the activities they’d enjoy doing with the Home Aide, even any languages they’d like the Home Aide to speak.
Unlike most agencies, Care Concierge NY matches Home Aides to a client’s specific medical needs, hobbies and personality. We bring them multiple candidates to interview to promote quality and longevity of care.
#3. Share your concern and time constraints.
While reassuring Mom or Dad that caring for them is not a burden, be honest if you do not have the time or freedom to provide the care they need. If your parents realize that accepting a Home Aide would help you too, they may accept assistance more easily.
