Accepting Home Care

I am definitely no senior but I have taken care of one --- my great-grandmother. I have seen her struggle for years. She couldn't accept these changes in her body and didn't realize the need for help, which unfortunately, made things harder for her. The first few years of inability to walk as fast as before, to go up the staircase without using a cane or simply ride the public transport without her back aching that much, seemed a lifetime of frustration. She didn't want to live with any of us and therefore stayed in her own house until she was 99 years old.

All we had to do was visit her everyday --- we had shifts, to be able to check on her. She had constant health problems that started with her pneumonia. We took her to the doctor as often as we wanted to but it really didn't seem enough for us. We wanted her to live with us so that we could check on her more, pay more attention to her and provide all that she needed right away. We wanted private home care for her but she didn't want to be a burden to us nor did she ever want to have a stranger care for her.

What I have realized from that experience is how advantageous it is for us to be able to accept that we need help. When we get old, we must understand that the very people who are going to be concerned are our own family and friends. They won't let anything bad happen to us and they'll want to support us in every step of the way. They'll offer caregiving as a way to ensure that we are taken care of the right way especially during those times when they aren't around or when they have personal matters to attend to.

The thing is, aging introduces a lot of anxieties and fears brought about by these sudden changes in our lives. We may get anxious of not being able to do things independently. We may invite feelings of helplessness. We may not be comfortable with home care especially if the caregiver is someone we don't know. We may feel terrified of facing death. All these feelings are normal but we shouldn't let them linger.

Our families and friends are there to provide emotional and moral support. They can help make us strong and encourage us to live our lives as normal as we can. The only catch is that we also need to help ourselves. Acceptance is the first key to cope with aging and also the very stepping stone that will make us experience the benefits of home care. Our loved ones want us to be assisted not because they feel sorry for us but because they want us to be comfortable in life. Whether or not we enjoy our golden years depend on how we look at things. A simple change in attitude can make the rest of our lives brighter and happier.

Thinking about getting a private home care giver for your elderly loved ones? Click now and we'll give you tips on how you can make them understand the situation.