Although you may love being a family member that provides essential care to a homebound elderly loved one, the truth is that weariness can settle in and you may need to ask for the help of a home health aide.
However, sometimes the thought of bringing a third-party caregiver into the home may be a decision that a loved one fights, even though the service is in their best interest.
If you are a family member that needs help caring for a loved one that is determined to hold onto their independence, here are 5 ways to help bring them around to the idea of a home health aide.
1. Make the Transition to Home Health Care Gradually
Sometimes just a little bit of time is all it takes for an older individual to completely adjust to the idea of in-home health care.
In order to ease an individual into a home health schedule, start the process off slowly. Have the home health aide come in once or twice a week and perform more impersonal duties like light housekeeping or minor meal preparation.
Over time, your loved one should develop a closer relationship with their home health aide and become more comfortable with more personal healthcare and hygiene assistance.
2. Make the Help More About You and Not Them
Sometimes taking the spotlight off of a loved one can help sway them into accepting outside help. Let them know that the home health aide is a more helpful investment for you than for them. Express that while you know they don’t need the help, you do need outside assistance with cleaning, cooking, and other chores in order to provide them with the quality of care they deserve.
This approach allows them to retain their dignity and not feel like accepting extra help is an added expense to your stressors as their family provider.
3. Listen to Your Loved One’s Concerns
Rather than forcing home health care on your loved one with no input on their behalf, take some time to sit down and listen to their concerns. Sometimes talking about the issues that matter to them can help your loved one feel understood and more invested in the final decision that your family makes together.
4. Get Their Doctors Involved
Many older adults tend to listen to the advice of their healthcare providers.
If their physician is able to explain to them the health benefits of working with a home health aide, they are likely to let down their guard and move forward into home health care that helps them lead safer more fulfilling daily lives.
5. Introduce the Home Health Aide as a Friend
If your loved one is someone that lives with a progressive neurological disease like Alzheimer’s or dementia, it may be easiest to refer to their in-home caregiver as your friend who needs their company. This helps relieve the stress of adjusting to a new caregiver and could create a natural rapport between your loved one and their home health aide.
Over time, as “your friend” continues to visit with them, they will form a stronger bond and become more willing to accept the essential healthcare assistance they need.
Make a Difference in Your Loved One’s Health Today With Angel Home Health Care
Don’t let the myths surrounding home health care prevent your loved ones from benefiting from quality health services. At Angel Home Health Care, we specialize in providing personalized, professional healthcare services that put all of the individuals we serve at ease.
Whether your loved one requires a home health aide, long-term care, or in-home therapeutic services, our reliable team of healthcare professionals can help.
Contact us today to learn more about our services or schedule your in-home evaluation with a member of our team.