How to Convince Seniors to Accept Help

Finding yourself in a situation where you all-of-a-sudden need help after years of doing everything on your own can be jarring. For this reason, it can be difficult to get fiercely independent seniors the care they need. How do you tell your mom or dad that someone else can do the dishes? How do you explain to them that a stranger is going to give them a bath? Seniors need to have a say in their care; they need to be comfortable with the people they are with and willingly accept care from themselves. This may sound easier said than done but there are effective ways to make it happen.

Motherly Comfort Home Care LLC provides quality home care service in Upland, California and we understand how difficult it can be to convince parents or grandparents to accept help from other people, even if they do happen to be professionals. As a company that’s all about caring for the health and well-being of the entire family, we give you some tips on how to approach the “care” talk with your senior loved ones, getting them to welcome the care that can better their lives.

  • Patience is everything.
    We know you’re pressed for time, seeing that your parents are getting weaker as the years pass, but you still need to be patient. In this case, patience isn’t about postponing the “talk” and letting your fiercely-independent loved ones live their lives the way they want, it’s about being patient enough to not really press the issue. Pressing the issues is only going to cause your loved one undue stress.
  • The nice approach is best.
    Be nice! We love our parents but can get very demanding when it comes to decisions that concern their best interests. You shouldn’t be demanding that your parents accept care because this strips them of their power to make decisions. In fact, you should make them feel that the decision rests solely on them – it’s their life – but that you would be really happy if they did accept care.
  • Drop subtle hints here and there.
    Getting your loved ones to accept care can be a process, and you need to bear with it; at the same time, you mustn’t ever give up either. Drop subtle hints like “Wouldn’t it be great if someone could wash the dishes so you’d have more time to watch your favorite program?” or other suggestions that you know your parents couldn’t resist pondering on.

As family members, it can be difficult for us to entrust the care for our loved ones to other people. Working with a home care provider in San Bernardino, California, like Motherly Comfort Home Care LLC can make it so much easier because you know your parents or grandparents would be in compassionate and expert hands.

How did you get the seniors in your family to accept care? You’re welcome to share your experiences in the comment section.