How To Talk To Your Family About Senior Care For A Parent

Elderly care is rarely an easy subject to bring up with your family, but the time will come when you’ll need to have this discussion with them anyway. Growing concerns can cause conflict when everyone is not on the same page. Are other family members in denial about healthcare concerns or assistance their aging parent or loved one needs? When you are caring for an elderly parent, things can become complicated. The main focus should be the well-being of your elderly loved one. If you are wondering how to talk to the family about placing your parent in a senior care facility and why they should consider it, here are five tips that may help you out in the long run.

How To Tell Family 

When it comes to difficult conversations, the most important thing you can do is keep calm. Don’t assume that your family or siblings understand what you’re going through, and don’t assume they feel the same way you do. You might be upset and think that your family is not as sympathetic as they should be, but they may not understand why you feel the way you do. They may also have different opinions about what makes a good home and what care works best for their parents. Your family may disagree with the changes you want to make or how much work is too much. Ultimately, how to tell family members about your concerns comes down to being able to express yourself clearly and openly in a calm tone.

Reframe Your Decision

It’s never easy thinking of yourself as a caregiver. And it can be hard convincing your family that you’re not simply abandoning them. Instead, reframe your decision as another way you are caring for them and helping them maintain their independence in their later years. You’ll probably even end up helping improve their quality of life. A successful transition will require a great deal of time and effort from all involved—the sooner everyone is on board with your plan, the better for everyone. Make sure to keep lines of communication open among all parties involved—you’ll need each other more than ever during this period of change.

Consider How This will Affect The Rest Of Your Family

It’s important to consider how this change will affect the rest of your family. If they are not the ones currently taking care of your loved one, it is possible they will not understand your decision.  Be sure to remind them how much better care your loved one will get if you aren’t handling things at home, and make sure you have their support when making that decision.

What’s the next step?

It’s one thing to know that you need help and quite another thing to talk about it with your loved ones. Do your research once you recognize that your care needs are beyond what family members can provide. Find a senior living community in your area and visit. Look for a community that matches your physical needs, personality, and personal interests. If they have some fun activities, so much the better! Even if it is not as comfortable or homey as what you currently have at home, however, try to put yourself in their shoes: The best place for anyone is an environment where they feel at ease and happy.