Make
no mistake about it, it can be a big adjustment to go from being
independent to needing a home care companion, yet for many seniors with
families that live far away or who are busy raising their own families
and working too, a home care companion is often the best solution for
the senior that is living on their own.
Home care companions offer a wide range of services from providing human contact, conversation and companionship, assistance with food shopping and errands and light housekeeping to meal preparation, personal grooming and other tasks that may have become too difficult for the senior to perform on their own. And while this assistance is needed, the decision to bring in a home care companion to help accomplish the tasks is often met with resistance.
Here are a few things that you can do to get your senior family member comfortable with their home health care companion even BEFORE they have come into the home:
- Start to have the conversation with your senior early so that they have a chance to get used to the idea and will hopefully grow to see the benefits. Thrusting a home health care companion into their life when they have not had the opportunity to understand how this will positively impact their situation is certain to backfire and cause strife.
- Make certain that all family members are on the same page so that the decision to have a home health care companion isn’t undermined by a family member speaking negatively to the senior about the situation.
- Help the home health care agency to make the best placement by
spending the time to honestly communicate your senior’s personality and
needs. The more that they know, the better it will be.
- Be certain to be with your senior the first time the home care companion visits and make certain that the lines of communication between you, the companion and the agency are well defined.
- Be certain to tell the home care companion of any “special” needs or personality traits that you feel would make the relationship go smoother.
- Check in with your senior each day to ensure that the relationship is proceeding smoothly. Assuage their concerns and ensure them that you are involved in the situation even though a new third person has been introduced into your lives.
- Be certain to point out all of the positive things that are being accomplished by the home care companion. The senior may not even be aware of all of the tasks that are getting taken care of yet they are pleased with the outcome! (How did those groceries get put away?!)
- Make certain that your senior understands the parameters of the arrangement so that their expectations are in line. To make it work it has to be a win-win situation.
- As in many situations open communication is the most important component in the mix. If you sense that there is discomfort and / or your senior is continually complaining do not push their issues under the rug; rather, address them quickly so that any negativity will not escalate.
A home care companion can provide peace of mind and confidence in situations when seniors are not able to do some tasks for or by themselves. Even if they are at first resistant, in time they will develop a relationship with their home care companion and be able to see the benefits too.
