You might notice that your elderly parent is struggling to cope with living by themselves and being able to live the quality of life that they are accustomed to.
The thing is that you might notice it but they don’t want to acknowledge that it’s happening out of fear, stress, or losing control of their life.
And this is where it can be difficult to speak to your elderly parent or parents about finding help through home care services.
This level of government-funded care and support will allow them to live the life that they want and, more importantly, deserve.
It can help them keep and maintain their independence which is incredibly important in their late years.
This article will look at how you can have that seemingly difficult conversation with your parents about how and why applying for home care services will be of enormous help and value to their quality of life.
The Signs Your Parents Need Help at Home
If it appears as though your parents are avoiding some of these tasks they used to do and love all the time, then it might be a clear indication that they need more help around the home.
Furthermore, asking you for help more often might be another sign that they need home care services whether it be short or long-term.
While family and friends will always provide help, it’s sometimes useful to engage a qualified home care provider to provide ongoing support that family and friends might not be able to do regularly.
Getting them the help they need and deserve means you can continue spending quality time with them knowing that they are able to live a quality life in the comfort of their own home.
Consider what they might be missing in their day-to-day life; you can almost guarantee that there will be a home care service available for them to use.
Your Needs Matter Too
Being there to help your parents is certainly the most obvious way to acknowledge their needs. But remember that your needs are also important.
Most home care service providers will be able to provide respite care services to clients existing support networks to ensure they can have time away from their elderly parents to recharge their batteries.
We certainly understand that you want the best for your elderly parents and want to be able to help them as much as possible, but sometimes you can’t be everything to them and you need to find additional help via home care services.
We’d recommend seeking out home care service providers nearby to ensure that your elderly parents will always have the care and support they need regardless if you or someone else is providing it.
Loved Ones That Are In Control
While you might feel the need to take on the full responsibility of finding and engaging a home care service provider for your elderly parents, it’s almost important to remember to include them in the decision-making.
After all, it is they who will be receiving the home care support so it’s important that they are comfortable with these decisions.
Furthermore, including them in these decisions will not only give them control over their own situation but will promote that all-important independence that may have seemed like it was slipping from their hands when they started relying on others for help.
You’d be surprised at what that will do for their overall health & welfare.
It’s also worth noting that as a home service provider ourselves, we need your elderly parent’s consent to deal with another nominated individual. It’s important for our elderly to know that they are being heard and that their thoughts & opinions on the level of care they are going to receive are valued and essential to the process.
When an Elderly Parent Needs Help, It’s the Start of an Important Conversation
The moment your elderly parents start to require help, it’s the start of an important conversation about their health and wellbeing.
We recommend small changes, to begin with, because we believe that sudden, wholesale changes may have adverse effects that may do more harm than good.
Slowly but surely they will see that receiving help for everyday activities is essential to their quality of life and this will mean that they are more open to the idea of home care services via a government-funded home care package.
If you would like to hear more about how Accent Home Care can assist you with home care services and a higher level of home care, call us on (03) 8720 1338 or email us at homecare@accenthomecare.org.au.