As a family caregiver, you want to believe that things will always be rosy and easy with your senior. After all, it’s both of you against the world, right? But that’s not always how it feels, especially when you’re trying to work out difficult situations.
Pause for a Moment
When you and your aging family member are not seeing eye to eye, it’s likely tempting to try to keep pushing and hope that’s finally enough to get her to hear what you’re saying. It’s probably time instead to take a pause for just a moment. Take a few deep breaths and try to see if there’s anything about what your senior is saying that you’re not hearing.
Make Sure You’re Listening and Talking
One of the best ways to do this is to make sure you’re talking to her, but that you’re also genuinely listening. Using active listening techniques can help with this. Starting out with, “What I hear you saying is,” and then following that with a paraphrase of what she’s said allows you both to verify what you both understand. This is more difficult than it sounds and it does take some practice.
Look for Ways to Compromise
Is there anything about the topic at hand that you’re willing to compromise about? If so, do it. If there isn’t, make sure that you’re clear with yourself and your senior about why compromise is not an option in that instance. Any time you’re trying to keep your senior as safe and as comfortable as possible, that’s certainly an understandable time to be putting your foot down. But there may be other ways if you’re open to finding them.
Consider Taking More Respite Time
Have you been taking time for yourself? Often family caregivers find that it’s a lot more difficult to see eye to eye about big issues when they’re stressed. This means that taking respite time a little more often, or at all, might help you to regain some perspective. Hiring home care providers ensures that your elderly family member is in safe hands while you take the time that you need. This is an important factor that too often gets overlooked.
It’s difficult to feel as if you and your aging family member are not communicating well. That can mean that you each wind up feeling very alone in this caregiving relationship. Working toward better communication can help to avoid those feelings.
For more information about hiring Elderly Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
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