One of our home care colleagues, Ryan McEniff from Minute Women Inc., has created two guest posts for EasyLiving on the topic of convincing elder parents to accept home care help. Here is the first part of the series on some of the reasons elders resist hiring home caregivers:
Many times elderly parents do not realize they need help around the house with various situations. Sometimes the problems are fairly simple like transportation to and from the grocery store, while other times you may need to convince a parent that they require more care because they are at risk of falling or other severe consequences of not having supervision.
The most common reasons seniors are hesitant of accepting home care are:
- Privacy Concerns – They have lived alone for many years and do not want a stranger coming in their home to help with anything, especially if they will be assisted with bathing, showering, or using the toilet. Letting someone into your home takes a lot of trust, especially when it is a stranger.
- Losing Independence – When a caregiver comes into a home to help, that makes anyone feel dependent on someone else, and can be hurtful, and depressing. Admitting you need help is a big step. Many people of all ages have issues accepting help, but especially so when you have not needed assistance for 70 or 80 years.
- Frugal – Many seniors are products of their parents being part of the Great Depression, and have heard the stories of never trust banks, always save your money, and never spend it. No matter if you have home care, assisted living, or a nursing home, there is going to be a cost to each. A senior parent may not be willing to spend that money on something they think they do not need, which brings us to…
- Denial – Your parent is in denial that they even need the help that is being offered. They feel that they are doing just fine on their own and can continue living in their home as is.
These four common reasons are understandable to anyone. No one wants to feel that their privacy, independence, and financial assets are now being compromised and taken away. There are ways to help convince your parents that the need is there, and their quality of life will increase because of this.
About the author: Ryan McEniff is the Director at Minute Women Inc., a non-medical home care agency established in 1969, in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Ryan’s next post will provide 10 Ways to Convince Your Parents to Accept Home Care-keep an eye out or sign up to get our blog updates via email!
Want to learn about all the ways a home caregiver can help your elderly parents? Grab our services overview with a checklist of all the tasks a home caregiver can complete (this can be a good way to show your parents how home care can help, empower them to choose services they feel would be useful).
Get Senior Care Help Today in Pinellas County, Florida from EasyLiving, Inc. at 727-448-0900. Our home care assessment is free.
