How to talk with parents about aged care

If your parents are ageing and start to encounter a range of health problems, it may be time to consider residential aged care. Taking care of an elderly parent isn’t always easy, especially if you’re juggling full-time work as well as a family. An aged care home can give your parents extra support and help manage their emotional and physical health. 

Even when your parents’ well-being is your number one priority, breaching the subject of aged care may be difficult. Moving out of their home and comfort zone can be unnerving, especially if it’s somewhere they have lived for many years. 

To help you navigate this conversation, here are a few simple tips to help you talk to your parents about moving into aged care. 

Start the conversation early

Often, the decision to move parents into aged care happens quickly, due to a rapid decline in health. Sometimes it happens after your parent is admitted into hospital, with news from doctors that they aren’t fit to return home and care for themselves. 

Having the conversation about aged care early will allow your parents to actively participate in the process. It gives them autonomy and independence, knowing they have a say in the decisions being made. It will also put you at ease knowing you’re making decisions based on their individual wishes. 

It’s important to let your parents know that their health and wellbeing is your priority and you have their best interests at heart. This will give them the confidence to embark on this transition and know you are there for them every step of the way. 

Involve the right people

It can be hard to know who to turn to and involve when talking about moving parents into an aged care home. You don’t want anyone to feel left out of the process, however only certain people will need to be involved. 

Who you will involve will depend on your family. Your siblings or a close relative or family friend may need to be involved in the conversation, to ensure everybody who is close to your parent is on the same page and to avoid any possible confrontation further down the track. 

Talking to friends can also be helpful, especially if they’ve recently been through this journey with their own parents. It may help you and your parents understand the process and any possible challenges you may need to overcome. 

Choose the right aged care home

It’s important to find an aged care home that suits your parent’s health and lifestyle needs. There are many factors to consider including: 

• Location – Convenience for visiting family and friends. 
• The type of care – There are 4 main types of aged care, including residential, dementia, respite and palliative. 
• Facilities – It’s important to look into the facilities, the view, rooms and common areas.
• Lifestyle and dining – Where do residents socialise, what diversional therapy do they provide and how are the meals cooked/served.
• Staff – Ensure you are entrusting your parents’ care to an experienced team with your parents’ best interests at heart. 

Aged care home visits

Once you have a short-list of aged care homes your parents feel comfortable with, it’s time to see them in person. 

A visit will give you and your parents a personal insight into how the home operates and allow you to get a feel for the rooms and facilities available. It’s a great way to meet the staff and see how residents interact on premises. 

If you’re looking at aged care homes on the Gold Coast and Hillview Premium Aged Care is on your shortlist, contact us to arrange a convenient time.

Take it one step at a time

Making the decision to move your parents into aged care is not only emotionally overwhelming, there are a lot of practical matters to consider. 

To transition into a home your parents will have to make a lot of changes, both financially and emotionally. To avoid being overwhelmed, take it one step at a time and don’t try to do everything at once. Remember, if you’re feeling stressed, your parents are the ones making the move and probably feel even worse. 

If you’re ready to have this conversation with your parents and need help, staff at Hillview Aged Care can give you the information you need to make the right decision. Contact us online or call us on (07) 5559 3222.