Should You Be Helping Your Elderly Loved One More with Daily Activities?

Senior Care in Riverhead NY

It’s a constant battle for family caregivers. How much help is too much to be offering their elderly loved one?

The Dangers of Helping Too Much

Often family caregivers step in to help their elderly loved ones because watching their elderly loved one struggle is painful or because it would simply be more efficient to handle the task for their loved one. The problem is that your loved one may simply give up and stop doing things for herself if you take this tactic too often. Your elderly loved one still wants to have some of her independence, even if there are things that are more difficult for her to do on her own.

The Problem with Helping Too Little

The flip side of that coin is that helping too little can result in your elderly loved one becoming frustrated and agitated. If you’re waiting until your loved one reaches this point, she may become so irritated that she also gives up on doing things for herself because they’re just too difficult. In the end, you wind up with a similar situation, but you got there via a different path.

Finding a Balance

The key is to find a balance between helping too much and helping too little. That balance may even shift by small amounts from one day, or even one hour, to the next. Try communicating with your elderly loved one about the situation. Ask her what level of help she feels would be comfortable for her. You may even be able to work out a system that allows her to ask for help without feeling as though she’s incompetent, such as using a code word for you to start helping.

Revisit the Situation Regularly

Because your loved one’s abilities and skills are going to change from one day to the next, it’s a good idea to revisit the situation regularly with your loved one. She’ll feel more empowered that you’re including her in the discussion and it won’t feel as much that she’s giving up control or independence.

If you’re still having trouble finding a middle ground, talk to your loved one’s senior care providers. They have a lot of experience with these sorts of situations.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional senior care in Riverhead, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.