It’s not always easy to recognize signs when they are right in front of you, especially when it regards a topic you don’t want to think about. For instance, you might be wondering if it’s time to discuss in-home care services with your aging mother or father, or both.
For many of us, it’s difficult to bring up the topic of in-home care with our parents because we don’t want to come across the wrong way. What’s the wrong way? Well, most of us don’t want our parents to think we are “shoving them off on somebody else.”
Of course, that’s not what’s happening. You want them to be safe. You want them to be comfortable. Plus, you don’t want to have to constantly worry about them in the house all by themselves, day after day, week after week.
But are you sure that what you are recognizing is a sign that some type of in-home care needs to be talked about? Or could you be reading into things too much? Could you be allowing your fears and anxiety to get the best of you and not realize that they are still completely safe on their own?
Let’s look at three signs that it might very well be time to at least talk about in-home care with an aging parent, grandparent, or other loved one.
Sign #1: You’re burning out helping them.
You may live in the same town. They may live in the same house as you. So, you look after them. You stop by once a week or twice a week or maybe now it’s three or four times a week to check in on them, help them prepare some meals, bring them food, get the mail in for them, and so forth.
It often starts relatively innocent, but in time your parent or parents begin calling on you more frequently for help with a wide range of things. At first, you are more than happy to help. After all, they did so much for you growing up, how could you say no?
Yet, a couple of times a week is quickly turning into seven times a week, or more. You are burning out helping them, and that is a clear sign they need to talk about other types of in-home care so you can continue living your life, pursuing your dreams, and not potentially harming the relationship you have with them at this time.
Sign #2: They’re getting frustrated with you.
You just want them to be safe. Is that too much to ask? After all, you are giving up so much of your time and perhaps even time with your teenage children or young adult children to look after them and help them. Why can’t they just do what you asked them to do?
Or, perhaps more accurately, why can’t they just avoid the things you tell them to stop doing? When frustration is the primary response from either you or them, it’s time to discuss elder care.
Sign #3: They won’t listen to you.
You’re trying to talk about home care or a different type of elder care, or maybe you’re trying to get them to stop doing something you feel is unsafe. They just won’t listen to you.
That is frustrating. It’s frustrating for them and it’s frustrating for you. It can push you to the breaking point.
What should you do next?
Find out what types of in-home care are available, what you believe they would want most (and a majority of seniors prefer to age in place), and learn what you can about it. Once you feel comfortable that you have a good knowledge base about in-home care, then calmly, patiently, and rationally sit down and talk to them about it.
If you or an aging loved one is considering In-Home Care Services in Princeton NJ please get in touch with the caring staff at Expert Home Care today at (732) 937-5320.
Providing exceptional live-in home care in New Jersey, including Monroe Township, Edison, New Brunswick, Red Bank, Lakewood, Princeton, Morristown, Flemington, Stockton, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Montclair, Livingston, Summit, and surrounding communities.
We have been providing Home Health Care to New Jersey families since 1985, and have grown to become one of the largest licensed providers of Live-In Home Care in the upper New Jersey area. Our many years of New Jersey home care experience has produced a company that over 8,000 clients have come to rely on confidently, for help.
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