Supporting Seniors Through Age-Related Transitions
Seniors face many transitions. For those who have been independent for a long time, an increased need for assistance and support can be especially challenging. It’s important to work at easing the stress of your aging loved one’s transitions.
Types of Transitions Seniors Face
Some transitions seniors face are obvious, like an illness, hearing loss, or a medical event. However, subtler, equally difficult transitions can also come with decreasing independence.
Types of transitions include:
Loss of privacy as others are more involved in care
Needing to ask for help getting places
Inconveniencing others by asking for support
Inability to participate in hobbies or activities
Reliance on others to remember things and make decisions
Difficulty keeping track of important information and memories
Grief as peers move to care facilities or pass away
Having less control over diet and schedule
Depending on strangers if professional caregiving is needed
Top Tips for Supporting Seniors in Transition
As seniors face transitions related to aging, they may experience a variety of feelings, including grief, depression, and anxiety. Many seniors who become dependent also face feelings of guilt or failure.
Help seniors through transitions by:
Extending as much autonomy as is safe and healthy
Including seniors in conversations about care plans and their preferences
Easing them into the idea of having someone help them—start out with smaller tasks for short periods of time
Provide reasons like the concern of loved ones or a desire to cover housekeeping for them
Pointing to an authority, like a doctor’s recommendations
Listening patiently to seniors’ concerns and preferences Conversations about transitions through aging can be painful for seniors and their loved ones. Remind seniors that you want the best for them and that their lives are meaningful.
Driving-Related Transition Tips
Limits on driving can make seniors especially frustrated with a loss of independence. Use these suggestions to help keep them safe.
Use CarFit, an educational program for seniors to help them make safe driving decisions
Stay up to date on medical tests, including eye exams
Ask seniors about their driving concerns and challenges, offering alternatives and options to help maintain independence
Conversation Starters
Try these strategies for starting hard conversations with seniors:
Do your homework so you can offer encouragement and real options
Ask questions with observations (i.e. “How’s the house? It must be hard to keep up.”)
Offer practical help, like finding a housekeeper, to ease seniors into receiving support
Don’t cut seniors out of conversations or decisions
Home Care Tip
As seniors begin to receive home care services, it is important to include them in the conversation. It can also be helpful and reassuring to show them portals or other tools that allow their loved ones to be involved in their care, even from afar.