It’s difficult for seniors to see sometimes how their needs are changing. But if they’re planning to continue to age in place, they’ll likely need more help around the clock eventually. Talking to seniors about accepting the need for 24-hour home care services the right way can help them get the assistance they need when they most need it.
Get Clear About the Need for 24-Hour Home Care
One of the things that family caregivers can do before even opening up this conversation is to get clear about why their seniors need help around the clock. Being able to articulate to seniors why they might need elder care providers overnight as well as during the day is an important step in the conversation. Some reasons could include changes related to aging, declining health, and a greater need for family caregivers to get uninterrupted sleep overnight.
Prepare for the Conversation
Talking about 24-hour home care services doesn’t have to be difficult. Choosing the right time and place can go a long way toward having a successful talk. Jotting down some key points helps family caregivers remember what they want to mention. It’s also important to know when to ease up and table the talk for another time if it turns out to not be the right moment.
Emphasize Teamwork
One big reason to embrace 24-hour home care is that it expands the “team” that is supporting the senior who needs help. It isn’t just the family caregiver and some occasional assistance anymore. Seniors have help around the clock, with whatever tasks are becoming more challenging for them.
Practice Active Listening
Seniors need to know that their family members are listening to them when they share concerns. Active listening helps to make sure that family caregivers are not only listening but also making it obvious to seniors that what they have to say matters. Body language that confirms family caregivers are listening as well as focusing only on the conversation at hand are great ways to show active listening.
Ask Open-ended Questions
Sometimes family caregivers and seniors haven’t talked about what comes next. Asking open-ended questions helps everyone involved get the information they need to make decisions that need to be made down the line. Ask seniors what their concerns are about having more help and what they want from the next few years of their lives. These questions help family members make better decisions for the seniors they love.
Address Concerns Openly
To help seniors continue to feel heard, family caregivers have to address their concerns. Even if a concern seems like it might not be necessarily an important one, it’s important to the senior because they brought it up. Getting answers to those questions and concerns goes a long way toward helping seniors feel more comfortable having help from 24-hour home care providers.
Be Patient and Show Support
Any big changes are tough to adapt to, especially for seniors. And having home care providers around during the day and at night is a big change. Family caregivers need to support seniors emotionally as they adapt and be patient with the emotions seniors might feel during the transition.
24-hour home care providers offer hands-on assistance and support during the day and at night. This gives seniors a boost in the care they receive, helping them manage all sorts of needs no matter when they experience them.