How a Home Care Provider Can Help Your Parents Maintain Their Dignity

Posted: 2/29/2016 3:23 PM by Interim HealthCare
Caregiver Tips by Interim HealthCare

Aging can present many challenges and seniors who were once active, engaged, healthy, and independent may find themselves incapable of handling basic day-to-day tasks on their own. Whether it is due to physical limitations, mobility challenges, or cognitive challenges, when seniors start to lose the ability to care for themselves and require the assistance of others, their dignity is at risk.

A person's dignity is central to his mental and emotional health. When a senior feels condescended, disrespected, or otherwise diminished, they can go down a spiral of negative mental and emotional consequences resulting in depression, anxiety, bitterness, loss of motivation, and even more rapid rate of physical decline. Preserving your aging loved ones' dignity throughout their later years is an important part of giving the quality of care they need and deserve, and supporting a strong sense of self, meaning, and worth even in the face of challenges.

One powerful way to help your parents maintain their dignity is by establishing a home care arrangement for your seniors. This caregiver can help your seniors cope with their daily challenges in a way that is respectful, encouraging, and personalized.

Share these tips with your parents' home care provider so the two of you can work together to create a dignified and respectful care plan for your aging loved ones:

• Treat them like adults. When a person is in need of care and assistance, it is easy to start looking at him like a child. This is particularly true when the person is coping with cognitive or physical limitations that make his behaviors and capabilities more childlike. It is important to remember, however, that your seniors are not children. Regardless of their challenges, they are adults and you and their care provider should always treat them as such. This means talking to them in an adult tone of voice, using appropriate language, and allowing them to make decisions whenever possible

• Encourage communication. Talking about a person as if he is not in the room, or talking for a person because you feel like he cannot communicate effectively for himself will quickly leave that person feeling disrespected and not valuable. Encourage your seniors to communicate on their own as much as possible by asking leading questions, engaging in conversation throughout the day, and talking to them throughout care tasks even if they do not respond

• Keep them active. Feelings of isolation are a very serious concern when it comes to the mental and emotional health of elderly adults. Maintain their dignity and keep them feeling relevant and acknowledged by working with their caregiver to plan outings and find events, clubs, and other socialization opportunities.

 Get in touch with the elder care agency in your area to find out more about hiring a home care provider to help you give your aging loved one the care and assistance they need to live a healthy, happy, comfortable, and dignified lifestyle. 

If you have an aging loved one in need of a caregiver contact Interim HealthCare today.