As we go through life’s different stages, our freedom takes on different meanings. There are significant occasions, like leaving our parents’ home or getting married, and smaller occasions, such as completing a difficult task on our own. Later, as we age, retaining independence ends up being the focus – the capacity to stay in our own home safely and securely. This desire to grow older in place at home is frequently the greatest desire for older adults, regardless of their state of health or ability to perform tasks of daily life independently, even in the face of injuries, illness or chronic health conditions.
For adult children, providing care for aging parents at home is very often complex, with physical, emotional and social concerns. Adult children may discover the need to increase their caregiving time as they become more involved in the daily tasks this crucial role demands, all while attempting to balance self-reliance and independence in senior loved ones.
It’s easy to get caught up in the role of caregiver when the situation arises—our parents have done so much for us, and when they have the need for help, it’s instinctive to want to do whatever we can to assist. But it’s important to keep in mind that, for the vast majority of seniors, maintaining independence is a key element in their wish to age at home. Although our efforts may certainly be well intended, it can be easy to go from providing care for aging parents to overpowering and taking care of everything for them. And often, this type of hands-on caregiving can have a harmful effect on the self-sufficiency and overall day-to-day freedom older adults need and deserve.
As a leading provider of senior care in Hoffman and the surrounding areas, the aging care team at Carolina Hearts Home Care suggests keeping the following in mind:
- Independence makes it possible for older adults to continue contributing to the community and world around them, and to feel positive about the impact they are having
- Self-reliance offers seniors a feeling of achievement and self-worth, both of which are imperative during the later years
- Having the ability to accomplish tasks independently promotes future and ongoing self-reliance
- Independence in seniors helps lessen feelings of discouragement and uselessness, even in the middle of illness, injury and the overall obstacles of growing older
Try to imagine yourself in your older loved one’s place. How would you feel if someone else took over tasks that you knew you could do yourself? Allowing a senior you love to continue to do things independently offers a sense of purpose and can cultivate feelings of self-confidence.
By bringing in the assistance of experts who are skilled in home care services for older adults, you can help boost your loved one’s feelings of empowerment and capacity to function effectively at home. Our caregivers are here to assist when the need arises – working together with you and your loved one, and never taking over.
We offer a wide range of home care services for seniors throughout the Carolinas, allowing a senior you love to focus on what he or she can do, and providing support with tasks that are stressful. Our services for senior care in Hoffman and the nearby areas include light housekeeping and meal preparation, help with personal hygiene needs, transportation, and much more. Contact us online or by phone at 1-855-277-2005 today to learn more.
