Tips to Get Your Parents on Board

Watching your parents age can be one of the hardest things that you may have to do. Seeing them struggle to get through the day can absolutely tear you apart. It is even worse when they won't let you help them at all! Many parents don't want to add anything to their adult children's plates, so they won't bring it up. Instead, they keep suffering.

Whether you are able to help more around the house or not, you may need to consider hiring a caregiver. This can be hard to bring up with your parents. It can be even harder to get them on board with getting some help.

However, it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips to help you when you talk to your parents.

Don't wait for them to bring it up. Too many children wait to talk to their parents until their parents are ready to discuss it. However, by then, it might be too late. Either your parents may really be struggling, or you may be overwhelmed with trying to help out. It is much better to have the conversation early, as soon as you notice that some help may be needed.

You may also want to have a conversation before your parents even need any help. Having a plan before it is needed may relieve some of the stress of this conversation. If you talk about it now, you can decide what your parents want to do. Do they want to continue to live at home, or would they prefer to get a smaller place where someone else does all of the mowing and outside work?

Start small. Many people automatically think of nursing homes when the term caregiver is brought up. However, there are many other options. Your parents may just need some help around the house, for instance with the gardening and cleaning. They may need someone to come to stay with them at night, just in case something happens. Others need twenty-four-hour care, and that is often too much for one person.

If your parents aren't ready for a caregiver, you might want to start by hiring someone to mow the yard and do the grocery shopping. Once they see how helpful it is, they may start asking for more help, without waiting for you to bring it up. Their load will and you might be surprised at how much better they feel!

Work together to find solutions. Parents are more likely to accept help when it is their own decision. So, you may have to start the conversation, but make sure that you really take the time to listen to your parents.

Talk to them about their options so that you can find something that works for all of you. It might help to have this conversation with an agency representative present so that they can talk about what they offer to come up with a solution that will make everyone happy.

Give them some time. Once you start the conversation, you can’t expect it to be over in one conversation. Let them mull over their choices and give them the time to figure out just what they want and need!

Getting your parents on board with help can be hard. It is not a conversation that most people want to have. However, if you have the conversation early, it will be better. You may want to talk about it before your parents need any help. Then, you should also work together to find a solution that works for everyone, but it still needs to be their choice. They will be more likely to accept help if they feel like it is their choice.