It’s very easy to feel guilty when an aging parent or other loved one doesn’t want to talk about elderly care services, but you recognize the warning signs it’s well past time to do so. It might be your elderly mother, father, grandparent, spouse, brother or sister, or just a close friend who is like family to you. When you recognize that they are struggling with Activities of Daily Life, you want to do something to help.
Assisted living is arguably the best elderly care option available, but too many people have misconceptions about it. They have the wrong idea, aren’t quite certain what it offers, or think that moving to one of these facilities is signing a contract giving up their autonomy and independence.
Having this conversation can be tough.
Just starting the conversation about elder care can be extremely difficult for a lot of people. If it’s your parents or just one parent, there is a unique relationship there. He or she raised you, looked after you, and probably supported you through much of your younger and early adult life. How can you do this to them?
The first thing you need to do is get that thought out of your head. You are not “doing” something to them; you are seeking to help them, especially during a difficult time in their life.
An elderly person’s unrealistic expectations about elderly care and assisted living.
Many aging seniors think they can take care of themselves to the end, to the finish line of their lives, but rarely is that the case. There almost invariably comes a time when they require help with various tasks throughout the day.
The people who love them the most, the ones who see them relatively frequently, if not every day, are the ones who can assess more accurately where they are struggling and where they need the most help.
Why do you feel guilty?
One of the key reasons why so many adult children feel guilty about talking about assisted living or other elderly care topics with aging parents is because the roles become reversed. The parented child suddenly has to act like the parent.
No matter your age, when you take on somebody else’s role, such as a parent’s role for them, it leads to feelings of guilt.
Another reason too many adult children who are looking after their aging parents feel guilty is because they think they didn’t do their job properly. “If I had just been a better family caregiver,” they sometimes think, “they wouldn’t have to make this decision.”
Understand that you have not failed. You have done a great job. And maybe you once promised not to put this person in a “home,” but an assisted living facility is not the same thing.
Learn more about assisted living for elderly care.
Too many people have misconceptions about assisted living. They have preconceived notions and commonly associate it with other types of elderly care. It is an independent living environment that provides optimal levels of support designed to maximize quality of life.
If you learn more about assisted living, take a tour, and visit the facility, you will probably be able to overcome your guilt while still encouraging your aging parent to make this move.
If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to an Assisted Living Facility for Elderly Care Services in Marietta GA please contact the caring staff at Woodland Ridge today. 770-431-7055
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