What To Do If Aging Parents Don't Want To Live In A Retirement Home But Can't Live Independently
Aging is hard, and symptoms include worsening of existing discomfort, decreased mobility, and a general rise in the difficulty of taking care of oneself. There's a good reason why so many seniors are set on not needing help from anybody. This article is for those who have elderly parents who are no longer secure living alone but who are unwilling to move into a retirement home. Here are four tips to help if an elderly parent refuses to move into a retirement home but cannot manage independently.
1. Try Backing Off
If you've tried addressing your loved one gently and it hasn't worked, maybe try to give them space for a bit. It's easy for seniors to feel helpless when forced into assisted living against their will.
For that reason, maybe take a break for a few weeks. It can provide the elderly parent with the opportunity to reflect on the issue on their own terms and come to their own conclusion about whether or not they need help in a retirement home.
2. Try a Different Approach
If trying to persuade them is unsuccessful, try something else. Avoid giving the same speech over and over again. Possible solutions include the following:
• Provide them with the feeling of being in charge, and don't make them feel obligated to do anything. In its place, request them to consider other approaches.
• Rather than anger or anxiety, express care and affection.
• Emphasize the positive aspects of assisted living, such as increased autonomy and simplified social interaction.
Think about talking with close family members about the situation. Inquire whether they think the strategy is overly demanding, excessively controlling, or otherwise bound to fail. Adjusting strategy is essential.
3. Ask For Help From Others
Involving others also helps make the message more engaging and maintains continuity in the family's story. A family intervention may be necessary if an elderly parent refuses, but this should be done with prudence. The idea is to express care, not to make the aging parent feel compelled or intimidated.
4. Presenting Feelings
If you have a healthy connection with your parents in their latter years, they will consider your emotions important. Avoid complaining about their illness; instead, share how you're feeling. Avoid making them feel like they're a bother. Saying they're being self-centered is unfair. The objective is to bring personal concerns to the forefront and offer a retirement home as a solution.
How Senior Helpers Corvallis Can Help
Understanding how to broach delicate subjects, including their housing situation, as an adult child of elderly parents can be challenging. If you keep some of these tips in mind, you can have such conversations with your parents without insulting them or making them feel like you're trying to take away their autonomy.
Personal Care Services provided by Senior Helpers open the door to independent living for elders in the Corvallis area. You can trust that Senior Helpers of Corvallis will provide your loved one with the right amount of care at the right time. Contact Senior Helpers of Corvallis to find a retirement home for your elderly parents in Corvallis, Albany, Molalla, Salem, Monmouth, and Lebanon.