It’s natural to want to let your senior have her way, especially if she’s always been the strong, independent type. But what can you do when you know a situation isn’t in your senior’s best interests? That’s when you might need to be a little more assertive than you expected. This might even happen sooner than you ever expected. It takes practice to be assertive when you need to be, because this isn’t about being bossy, it’s about making sure your elderly family member is alright.
Safety Is a Huge Concern
One of the biggest issues in caregiving is your senior’s overall safety. Many of your big decisions are likely going to somehow involve your elderly family member’s safety. If your elderly family member or someone close to her is somehow creating unsafe situations or conditions, that’s something you’re going to need to address.
Health Risks Can Become Scary Quickly
Something else to remember is that your senior’s health issues and risks can sometimes become scarier than they were at the beginning. You might be facing side effects that your senior didn’t expect or changes to things like your senior’s cognitive abilities that create a much different situation than you initially discussed. Adapting to these changes is crucial.
You’ve Realized You Need More Help
It’s not unusual at all to realize that caregiving is demanding a lot from you. You may also have other obligations and responsibilities that divide your attention and your time. Having help from experienced senior care providers can make caregiving infinitely easier, but your senior may not be on board. This may be a situation in which you need to be more assertive about making sure that those needs are met.
When Your Senior Is Making Questionable Decisions
There are a lot of different reasons why your elderly family member is suddenly making different decisions than you expected her to make. She may be developing additional health issues or she may be dealing with problems such as depression or a cognitive illness. If your senior is making decisions that are potentially harmful for her, you may need to step in and be a little more assertive.
There are times during your experience as a caregiver when you’ll know and see very clearly what your senior needs in order to be as safe and as healthy as possible. That doesn’t mean that she will agree with you right away. Those are the times when you need to be prepared to assert what you know is right.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Sherman Oaks, CA please contact the caring staff at Nu Care Inc. today at. 800-505-6890