A 2022 national poll from the University of Michigan on Healthy Aging, showed that more than half of adults over the age of 50 have helped an adult age 65 or older with health, personal, or other care tasks in the past two years.
If you find yourself in this group, you may be asking “when is the right time for in-home care”? Family members and loved ones may be stepping in to provide support but hiring in-home help may become necessary. Knowing when that point is can be difficult.
The first place to start is to be honest about how the added responsibility is impacting you. Being a family caregiver can be demanding. Has the level of care you have been providing negatively impacted your work, relationships, or health? Hiring a Caregiver may be the best solution for everyone involved as it will provide the necessary support for both you and your loved one.
The second thing to think about is how will this change impact your loved one. It can be difficult to admit that we may need assistance with some of the basic activities of daily living. In-home care doesn’t mean your loved one is no longer able to do things. In fact, it can help them continue to do the things they love. Approaching this subject with an aging loved one is never easy. With a little preparation and thought, you can start an honest and open dialog that will help lead to a plan for future care that you all can agree on.
Here are some tips for when you choose to have that conversation:
- Be compassionate
- Think from their point of view
- Don’t try to tell them your solution – work to develop it together
- Listen more than you speak
- Ask questions rather than make statements
In-home care can include both hands-on help with hygiene and mobility to hands-off help like transportation, errands, cooking, and light housekeeping. Your loved ones' Care Plan should meet the needs of today and be flexible to change for future needs.
Home Helpers® Home Care covers every need to keep someone independent and comfortable at home and services include;
Home Helpers compassionate Caregivers have been providing top-quality in-home care for over 25 years. Understanding what needs you or your loved one might have is best done in a conversation. The free in-home care assessment will help answer any questions you may have. Find a location near you to learn more about how Home Helpers can make life easier.