Discussing commencing aged care services for your loved one can be a difficult milestone to navigate, even if you?re considering services within their own home. Here are the top things to consider when planning the conversation about in-home care.
- Listen to your loved one
Listening to your loved one?s needs before suggesting in-home care is the most meaningful and important step of this difficult process. While you may worry daily about their ability to get up and down the stairs to the garage, your loved one may be more focused on being able to go to the shops to get the paper in the morning. Rather than voicing your own concerns, listen to their difficulties over a few months to help the conversation go more smoothly.
If you mention an aspect of daily life that has become difficult for them, then offer a solution, your loved one will be far more likely to listen to your plan to help them continue this activity.
- Enhance the positive aspects of staying in their own home
Most candidates for home care will be very comfortable in their own homes and in their own space. This level of comfort not only enhances your loved one?s ability to feel safe and secure, but it also helps trigger memory, and can help enhance the efficacy of at-home therapies. When broaching the topic of at-home care, highlight the fact your loved one can stay comfy in their own home, while receiving help to stay independent.
- Always let your loved one know they?re in control
No matter how old your parent or loved one gets, they want to retain their sense of self and autonomy, so ensure they feel they have control over the services you consider.
After listening to what they may need, create a plan together with your loved one, where you offer ideas and come to an agreement. Remember, while you may worry about your loved one, this decision is about their lives, so it must be made with them not just about them.
- Create a tailor-made at-home care service together
The best thing about at-home care is it can be personalised for every client, and everyone?s unique needs. Some people may need personal care assistance; everyday help with continence and dressing, plus cooking and cleaning. Others may need help managing the steps to the garage followed by some help to complete simple gardening tasks once a week.
By listening to exactly what your loved one needs, then offering very specific solutions, they will know you don?t want to take over their home life; you just want to offer help for specific tasks that have become tricky.
If you and your loved one are concerned about the financial burden of in-home care, you may be eligible for government funding. You can apply to the Aged Care Assessment Service and they will determine your package level.
- Ensure your loved one knows they can choose their carer
Having a carer in your home can be very intrusive at first, so it?s important your loved one knows their carer will be chosen according to their preferences. Good at-home care brands offer personality matching as well as gender preference consideration. Exceptional at-home brands will also offer to match a carer according to cultural and LGBTI sensitivity, plus offer multilingual carers.
At-home care can be the best decision you and your loved one will make as they age. By planning the conversation carefully and having it in a comfy place in the morning while everyone is energised, it enhances the likely success of broaching this difficult subject.
Article provided by Absolute Care & Health