Your elderly family member might have expressed her desire to age in place in a variety of ways. Sometimes the statement might be an emphatic one that you can’t miss. Other times, your elderly family member might be more subtle about trying to let you know she has no intention of leaving her home. But why is it so important to her?
No Desire to Move
Many aging adults simply have no desire to uproot themselves at all. This is especially likely if your elderly family member has lived in the same place for many decades. It’s tough to move, and that’s why it’s listed as one of the most stressful things that a person can do. Your elderly family member may have moved at other stages of her life, but that doesn’t mean that she’s willing to do so now. Moving means making a lot of decisions, and your senior may not be up to that, either.
Maintaining Independence
So many seniors want to stay independent for as long as possible. That might not feel like something that she can do if she moves anywhere else. Your senior may also worry that admitting she doesn’t want to live alone could lead to losing independence in other ways. There may be a good bit of your senior’s identity that’s wrapped up in where she lives and how she manages her life. Changing one thing, like where she is living, could feel like a slippery slope that leads to changes she doesn’t want to see.
Staying in Familiar Settings
Besides not wanting to move, it’s also important to remember that the environment your senior is in is one that’s familiar to her. That means that her home is of course familiar, but also her neighborhood. Maybe she’s shopped at the same grocery store for the last thirty years. It’s difficult to let go of something like that and to learn something new. The stress of having to choose a new pharmacy, or even just going to a different branch of the same one, can be enough to make your senior want to stay right where she is for as long as possible.
Not Wanting to Be a Burden
Your senior may also be extremely cognizant of the fact that she needs help. She may even know that you’ve offered help and that elder care is an option. But when she looks at how that might change her life, she may still be worried about being a burden. Home care can actually help your senior to stay in her home for a longer period of time, so it’s important to find ways to help her to understand that. Elder care can preserve your senior’s independence, rather than taking it away.
Have some open and honest conversations with your senior about what she wants and why. Make sure that you help her to understand all the options available to her. It’s also crucial that the solutions you offer help to address her needs properly, without causing side effects she doesn’t want.
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Huntley, MT, call the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Billings today. 406-839-2390
