Why Should You and Your Senior Talk Now about Her Final Plans?

Preparation is one of the biggest parts of being your senior’s family caregiver. When you’re properly prepared for what’s coming, that can resolve lingering doubts for you. If you and your elderly family member haven’t already talked about what she wants to happen in her later years, you may want to find ways to have that talk. 

This Is a Way for Her to Make Some Choices

Choice and control can be huge issues for older adults. There may be a lot of ways in which your elderly family member feels and sees choices that she’s no longer able to make. The decisions about her final plans may still be ones that she can have some input with, so it’s important to open up that topic. This is especially important if your elderly family member has been reluctant to have this conversation.  

You and Other Family Members Will Know How to Support Her 

One of the most important reasons for your elderly family member to embrace this conversation is that you and other family members will better know how to support her. If you aren’t aware of what her preferences are for aging in place, pain relief, or any number of other decisions, there’s no way you’ll know what the right decision is. 

She’ll Be Able to Maintain Her Dignity 

Knowing that you and your other family members have the information you need to make sure you’re complying with your senior’s wishes is going to help you to keep them in mind in all decisions. There’s a helplessness that many aging adults feel when it comes to these topics because of the challenges of aging. Your senior doesn’t have to feel helpless when she knows you and others are there supporting her. 

You’ll Have Less Uncertainty Overall 

As your senior’s family caregiver, one of the biggest stressors you’re likely to face is the uncertainty of knowing what your senior really wants. That alone can be incredibly upsetting, but then to face worsening health conditions and other problems is a further complication. It’s vital that you feel that you have all of the information that you need in order to know when she’ll be open to solutions like home care services and other options. 

You may not be able to answer every single situation that you’re likely to run into, but if you and your elderly family member at least talk openly and thoroughly about what she wants then you’ll be better prepared. 

Source: https://www.healinghandshs.com/home-care-blog

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