It is not uncommon for the relationship between parent and child to undergo a kind of role reversal over time. As you get older, you can expect to rely on Mom and Dad less and less. As they age, on the other hand, they may start to rely on you more. Adjusting to this new dynamic can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Hiring a home health care provider will ensure elderly loved ones get the care they need. It will also allow you to simply enjoy the time you spend together. Bringing up the topic can be hard, though, especially if your parent is fiercely independent. Here, the compassionate team at New York’s Lifetime Care shares a few tips for handling the conversation. 

How to Propose Home Health Care to Aging Parents 

1. Consider the Various Ways Home Health Care Will Help

What do your parents struggle with most on a daily basis? Cooking hot, nutritious meals? Cleaning and keeping the house in order? Write a list of specific ways their caregiver will help so they can have a clear understanding of the many benefits of hiring one.  

2. Emphasize All the Free Time They Will Have

Time is our most valuable resource, which becomes increasingly more apparent with every passing year. Talk to your parents about all the free time they will have to focus on hobbies and passions if a caregiver handles the more mundane household tasks like running errands and doing chores. 

3. Mention Friends Who Rely on Home Health Care 

Do your parents have any senior friends who have hired a home health care provider? Or maybe you have an aunt or uncle who receives help from a friendly caregiver on occasion. Share a few success stories with your parents so they know needing a little extra help around the house is perfectly normal. 

4. Let Them Have a Say 

Do not talk about home care as if it has already been decided and you are simply informing your parents of the new schedule. Instead, bring it up as a simple suggestion, and let them steer the conversation to gauge how they might feel about hiring someone to help out. 

5. Give Them Time to Come Around to the Idea 

If possible, have the conversation in stages, and plan it well in advance so your parents do not feel blindsided. For example, if your mother will need joint replacement surgery in a few months, start talking about home care now. Let her warm up to the idea so when the time comes, she embraces rather than fights the extra help. 

If you want to arrange home health care for a parent or aging relative, turn to Lifetime Care in New York. With five convenient locations throughout the Finger Lakes region, they provide skilled nursing services for patients throughout the state, including at-home monitoring and diabetes care. Visit their website to find the facility nearest you, or call (585) 214-1000 to discuss your family’s needs today.