How Can You Show Your Aging Adult that You’re Not Taking Her Independence?

One of the biggest battles you might face as your senior’s family caregiver is that she worries you’re trying to restrict her independence. Ultimately, you can only prove through your actions that you’re not planning to do that.

Elderly Care Alexandria VA: Senior Assistance

-Keep Her Informed

The more information that your aging adult has the better decisions she’ll be able to make. If she starts to feel as if you’re keeping information from her, she may start to back away. Your senior needs to know what is going on with all of the aspects of her life you’re handling for her. It’s not difficult to do and it can help her to feel as if you’re preserving her independence.

-Give Her Choices

Whenever possible, give your senior choices. No matter what is going on with her mental or physical health, there are choices that you can offer to your elderly family member. You might give her the choice between cereal and eggs for breakfast or between two different outfits for the day. Regardless of what those choices are, they can be powerful for your aging adult.

-Listen to Her

As your elderly family member shares with you how she feels about certain situations or topics, be sure to listen to her. Even if the best choice is something different than what she wants, really listening to her lets her know that you’re taking her concerns seriously. When you’re listening carefully, you can also anticipate her needs. For example, if she’s mentioning that driving is becoming more difficult, find other solutions, such as having senior care providers fill in as drivers for her.

-Respect When She Puts Her Foot Down, if Possible

If it’s safe and sane to do so, try to respect those times when your aging adult is firm about a decision she’s made. When that decision is unsafe or does not make sense, you may not be able to do this. But when it doesn’t affect her personal safety, let your senior take that win.

Your elderly family member may need some time to truly grasp that you do mean for her to stay as independent as possible. Give her that time to see what you’re showing to her so that you can both benefit.

Are you or a loved-one considering elderly care in Alexandria, VA?  Please call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today.
Contact: 703-273-8818

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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