People who are caregivers for elderly parents often feel stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed. They get tired of hearing well-meaning friends and acquaintances offer platitudes or other remarks meant to be sensitive but greatly miss the mark. One helpful suggestion that a close friend might gently make without causing irritating is for the family to hire Elder Care Services in Asheville, NC for home visits, at least for a few hours a week.
A Stressful Time
The person caring for a disabled elderly mother or father may also have immediate family obligations with a spouse and children still at home. This person may work full time or part-time. In addition to those time constraints, there is continuous worry about Mom or Dad, whether the disabling condition is multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or dementia. It looks as though time with this beloved parent is coming to an end, and the suffering they endure is very difficult for the adult child to handle emotionally.
Comments to Avoid
What sorts of comments should be avoided by a well-meaning friend or relative? Talking about the situation being part of God’s plan or happening for a reason usually is inadvisable. Even a devoutly religious person can have a crisis of faith under these circumstances and may not want to hear these remarks right now. Comparing caring for a person with dementia to caring for children is also insensitive.
Approaching the Subject
Making a suggestion for someone to hire Elder Care Services in Asheville, NC should be done without any judgment, exasperation, or pressure. Close family members tend to feel strongly that they should be able to care for a disabled loved one at home, and they can have very negative feelings about the idea of bringing in a companion or a nursing assistant.
The gentle suggestion might include a description of a family who found the extra help to be invaluable and how the elderly individual appreciated it. The option of a care service like Silverbell Homestead provides the significant advantage of the loved one being able to continue living at home instead of moving to a nursing facility.
