Convincing a loved one they should look into an assisted care community can be challenging even during the best of times. In most scenarios, elderly parents are more likely to feel judged and like a burden when the subject arises. These feelings can cause a frustrating situation for any child, younger or older. Luckily, there are ways to avoid or reduce the frustration of bringing up the subject of senior communities.
One of the easiest ways to avoid stress on both sides when discussing assisted living communities will always be open honesty. There are many options for assisted senior communities in the Lompoc area. Finding the one that fits specific medical needs and comforts is easy with a quick tour of the community and meeting the residents there, if possible.
Finding a Way to Discuss the Topic
Like any other sensitive topic, finding the right tone and grammar is essential. Tone can convey a lot of emotion without intent. Body language can display even more emotion than our voices do. Frustration, anger, stress, and other negative emotions are easily readable on our faces and in our stances by those we are around most often. Always present yourself in a neutral stance and speak with a caring voice when discussing care for seniors.
Approach the topic in as gentle a manner as possible. Make sure that everyone involved in the talk knows that there’s no anger or frustration towards anyone else in the conversation. Be supportive and encouraging when bringing up the subject, presenting senior living communities positively. Mentioning the benefits of living in a community for seniors will help them see the decision more positively.
Being open and honest about the stresses both parties experience is vital. When senior parents start to have health issues, they put themselves and others at risk. Whether it’s memory problems or physical health issues, an assisted living community in Lompoc, CA, can help improve their quality of life significantly compared to living at home.
Communities offering senior living options provide residents with various levels of care. Whether the resident is self-caring or needs help with all of their daily activities, there are care plans that cater to every level of senior living needs. There are also care options for assisted living with memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairment issues.
Convincing a Stubborn Sibling
Sometimes, it’s not the parent being stubborn about assisted living communities. Sometimes it’s a sibling. Convincing a parent can be frustrating, but convincing a sibling can often be even more difficult. Some siblings feel they know better about what a parent needs even if they aren’t active in the parents’ daily lives. It’s often best to remain calm when presenting siblings with facts to prevent parents from dealing with more stress than they should have.
It often helps when a sibling has experience living with the parent to defend their decision better. Taking care of parents in their golden years is noble but not a task every child can take on. Personal hygiene, feeding, medical care, dental care, and other activities are just the start of caring for an elderly parent. Add the fact that it’s an everyday task taking care of a senior, similar to raising a child. Some siblings will start to feel like they’re missing out on their own lives by “raising” their parents. On the other hand, a sibling may understand the situation better by having that same experience of caring for a senior parent.
Discussing the idea of assisted living communities with a sibling doesn’t have to be strenuous, though. Being open with each other about your fears and worries concerning your senior parent will help. Always relay concerns about the stress the situation of caring for seniors will put on everyone involved, even those not living in the same home.
Ensure your sibling also understands the benefits of an assisted care community and the quality of life improvements they provide. Senior parents will often neglect more than just their hygiene. They will also neglect their bills, mail, and important appointments. This neglect can lead to poor quality of life even with the best of help from family around them.
Find the Best Senior Care
At Fountain Square of Lompoc, we offer quality senior living care and a friendly senior community. Managed by Northstar Senior Living, a premier provider of senior living management and consulting, we provide various senior care services to our local community and beyond. Let us be the solution to your senior care needs.
