Even if she’s done everything right for her entire life, your senior could still hear something about her health that terrifies her. It’s what you do next that really matters.
Face the Situation
The worst thing for anyone involved to do is to ignore what’s going on. You and your senior both need to face what is actual, instead of what you wish were happening. This isn’t always easy and it can be painful, depending on the diagnosis that your elderly family member receives. Keep in mind also that not every family member may need to know every detail of what’s going on.
Start Doing Some Research
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to health issues. Talk to your senior’s doctor and do some research on your own, too. If talking with a specialist or getting a second opinion would help, make sure that you do so. It’s also important to take notes. You might think that you’ll remember everything, but stress and worry can make your memory far patchier than you would like for it to be.
Heed Your Senior’s Needs
As important as it is for you and your senior to stay within the bounds of reality, sometimes your elderly family member might need a bit of a break from what she’s experiencing. Make time for fun and for other things besides worrying about or talking about her diagnosis. It’s important that she’s still a person with more going on than just a serious health issue.
Get Some Help from the Start
At some stage, your elderly family member and you may realize that you need more help. It’s best to start looking for more help now. Hiring elderly care providers at this stage gives both you and your aging adult the opportunity to get used to accepting help and to tailor the types of help you need now as well as later. Dealing with a scary diagnosis in the earlier stages can leave everyone involved feeling shell-shocked. When you have help on hand, though, you’re able to process when you need to step back and do so.
Receiving a scary diagnosis is not something that anyone wants for their family member. Keeping your elderly family member as healthy as possible is your priority now, but not at the expense of her quality of life. It can be a delicate balancing act for you and your aging adult, so take things one step at a time.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Walpole MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572.
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