Caring for aging parents comes with its fair share of obstacles, but communication problems often top the list. There is no easy answer when parents deny assistance. According to a Penn State University survey, 77% of adults say that their parents don’t want to accept any help with daily responsibilities.
This is not an entirely hopeless scenario. There are ways to discuss care and senior living community options with your parents. Here are some tips to make the topic easier to approach.
Think About Your Parents’ Dilemma
Check in with your parent’s living situation, routine, and state of mind before you do anything else. Note the things they’re capable of doing on their own and what they need help with. How important are independence and a sense of direction to them?
Making an honest evaluation of your parent’s situation can help you approach the subject with clarity and focus.
Express Your Concerns
If your parents aren’t willing to accept that they need help for themselves, perhaps they’ll do it for their children. Remind your parents that you are taking care of them and your own family, and these responsibilities are starting to weigh you down. Being a family caregiver isn’t easy and you don’t have to go through it alone.
Talking to your parents about what you need can be another way to get them to agree to work with a caregiver.
Focus on the Good
It’s important to keep an optimistic attitude when having conversations with your parents. Avoid focusing on your parents’ inabilities and instead learn about their interests, values, and priorities.
If they have a strong sense of self-reliance, remind them that accepting a little help here and there will help them keep that sense of self-sufficiency while still engaging in the things they enjoy. When talking about retirement communities, it’s important to stress that they will be a source of comfort and company.
Give Them Options
Providing your parent with a range of care options and senior living communities shows them that you value their opinion and respect their autonomy. But you should still establish limits on how much they can depend on you. Each choice you provide to your loved one should focus on improving the areas where they need assistance.
Arrow Senior Living Advisors can help you find the right options for your loved ones in Oklahoma. Whether you’re looking for an independent living community, assisted living community, or memory care home for your parent, we’ll find options that fit your goals, health requirements, and budget.
Give us a call right away and our representatives will be happy to get you started.
