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How Do I Talk to My Parent About In-Home Care?

Discussing in-home care with your parents can be a sensitive subject. Many seniors want to maintain their independence throughout their life. But how can you know when it’s time to talk to your parents and how you should go about doing it? The experts at Advanced Nursing & Home Support are here to help.

Schedule your free in-home assessment to discuss your different in-home care options in the Montgomery County, MD area. Give us a call at 240-283-4984 or fill out the form in the sidebar.

When Is It Time to Talk to Your Parent About In-Home Care?

There are many signs that it’s time to talk about in-home nursing care with your parent, including:

  • Recent close calls or accidents and a slow recovery – has your loved one recently fallen or gotten into an accident? These “close calls” can be a sign that living alone is becoming a hazard—particularly when these accidents are paired with a slow recovery.
  • Deteriorating health condition – if your loved one has a pre-existing health condition that is only getting worse, it may be something that needs to be monitored by a professional.
  • Noticeable weight changes – extreme weight changes are always a troubling sign when it comes to the health of a loved one, whether it’s a major gain or a major loss. There could be major reasons contributing to either: for weight loss, it could be anything from depression to cancer; for weight gain, it could be dementia, diabetes, and more.
  • Changes in personal hygiene, including clothing – does your loved one have an unpleasant odor? Or is he or she wearing abnormal or dirty clothing? Deteriorating personal hygiene is a major warning sign that your senior family member may require in-home care.
  • Unpleasant living conditions – an unclean, cluttered living environment should be a big red flag. If your loved one is unable to care for their home and keep it in a safe condition, it’s important that you seek the help of a professional.

During your visit, you should check for these additional warning signs:

  • Reduced social interactions and/or friendships
  • Large stacks of unopened mail, including bills
  • Notices from credit card companies, lenders, or utilities
  • Dents or other damage to their car (if your loved one still drives)
  • Expired or unopen food
  • Dead houseplants
  • Pets that seem poorly tended
  • Poor balance

How to Talk to Your Parent About In-Home Care

When you talk to you parent about in-home care, it’s important to:

  • List the advantages – talk about all of the advantages of in-home care, such as safety, medication management, and more. Our expert team can provide custom care for your loved one to meet his or her every need.
  • Stress their maintained independence – remind them that with in-home care, they will still maintain their independence. They’ll be able to stay at home and go about their daily life as normal, just with a little extra help from one of our trained caretakers or nurses.
  • Set up a meeting – set up an initial meeting so that your parent can meet and talk to the people providing care. Often times, we find that people’s hostility toward in-home care comes from fear. You can help mitigate this fear by setting up a meeting in a safe environment.
  • Talk to a professional – give us a call to learn more about how to talk to your parent about in-home care. We can help you figure out the best way to talk to your loved one based on their individual needs and personality.

Schedule an In-Home Consultation

Find the right in-home care company for your aging loved one in Montgomery County, MD—call Advanced Nursing today! We can schedule an in-home consultation to discuss your individual case and the options available to you and your family.

Contact us online or by phone at 240-283-4984 to schedule your in-home consultation!

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