Maintaining a sense of dignity can lead to better health for the elderly. Therefore, family caregivers need to find ways to help their senior parents age with dignity, including using the tips mentioned below. The steps you take should focus on treating your parent with respect and affirming his or her experience and wisdom.
Acknowledge Challenges
Ignoring a discouraging diagnosis or refusing to accept negative emotions like depression could prevent your loved one from aging with dignity. Although these issues are challenging, your parent can take them on with your support and help from other family members and friends. When your loved one fails to acknowledge medical conditions, he or she may give up on life instead of finding ways to move forward and slow the progression of the conditions. Remind your loved one of the steps he or she can take to maintain a happy and exciting life despite physical and mental challenges. It’s vital to motivate your parent to control the situation instead of letting it take control of him or her.
Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality home care. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your elderly loved one age in place safely and comfortably.
Ask for Your Loved One’s Preferences
Aging doesn’t always prevent seniors from making sound decisions, and whenever possible, they should be included in the process of planning for their own care. When you listen to your loved one’s suggestions and opinions, you can avoid providing care that makes him or her uncomfortable or stressed. Instead, you allow your loved one to have a voice in his or her daily activities and give him or her the respect necessary to maintain a dignified life. It’s okay to have disagreements, but you should back them up with facts and doctor recommendations. Respect your loved one enough to ask what he or she prefers for meal choices, weekly activities, grooming, and more. Encouraging independence could boost your loved one’s emotional and mental health and allow him or her to age gracefully.
Living independently is important for seniors who want to maintain a high quality of life. For some, this simply means receiving help with tasks that have become more challenging to manage over time. Even when families have the best intentions, they may not have the time to provide the care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. If your loved one needs help for a few hours a day or a few days a week, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a trusted provider of respite care Tucson seniors can depend on.
Be Patient
Living with a condition such as dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or cancer could make life more challenging for your loved one, but you should always remain kind and patient. You can diminish your loved one’s dignity if you admonish him or her for minor issues such as misplacing items, spilling food or beverages, or having the TV volume turned up too high. Keep in mind your loved one’s current challenges are the reason for such errors and accidents, and regardless of the situation, he or she deserves to be treated with dignity.
Encourage Self-Care
When your parent puts his or her needs first, it can help him or her age with dignity. This includes practicing self-care. For example, your loved one needs to visit his or her primary care physician and dentist regularly, take up exercising, eat healthy, and maintain an actively engaged lifestyle. Merely putting his or her needs ahead of others could boost your loved one’s self-confidence, emotional health, and physical endurance. Another aspect of self-care includes receiving assistance from family members or professional caregivers. Encourage your parent to accept help, and make sure he or she understands that receiving assistance should never cause him or her to feel embarrassed.
There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Home Care Assistance is a leading Tucson senior care provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life. To learn about our high-quality in-home care services, give us a call at (520) 276-6555 today.