Picking Your Battles: We cannot wrap our parents or others we care about in bubble wrap to keep them perfectly safe nor can we sit by idly allowing dad to put others at risk by driving beyond the point of doing it safely. How can we best help them?
Let go of the perfectionist standard you are putting on your loved one’s situation. What’s most important is safety. Finding balance between honoring independence and inserting safety is not always easy.
The best approach to getting your parents the support they need is to start small. Don’t overwhelm them with lots of help. To start small, work your way up, and you’ll have a lot more success in the long run.
Starting small might include something like:
- Offering to have housekeeping assistance once a week
- Hiring a landscaping company to maintain the yard
- Transportation assistance to appointments and/or outings
- Grocery delivery to the home and/or hiring a chef to prepare meals
- Companionship care like an Aging Wisdom Creative Engagement Specialist
- Bringing in a professional caregiver once a week for a few hours to assist with medication management, bathing assistance, meals
Need guidance on the delicate dance of balancing independence and autonomy with safety? That’s an area of expertise for our team. Click here to schedule a get-acquainted call with one of our Certified Care Managers.
Helpful Links:
- Can freedom and safety co-exist?
- Should I Move Mom? an Aging Wisdom University online mini-course
- What is Aging Life Care?
- Ambiguous Loss pioneered by Pauline Boss, Ph.D.