Hurdles Often Stand in Way of Communicating Aging Issues

Posted on

Nov 08, 2018

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According to research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care network, two in five adult children (39%) surveyed in the U.S., and more than one-third (36%) surveyed in Canada, have at least one barrier that prevents them from having conversations with their parents about aging or end of life.
Barriers and hurdles can get in the way of candid family conversations about a variety of topics such as living choices, health, driving and end of life.

Here are a few concerns that could create problems for families. Some are from a seniors perspective, others from an adult child or family. Do any sound familiar?

Living Choices

Seniors fear loss of independence, which could include giving up on certain freedoms such as driving.
Families are concerned about the cost of receiving assistance at home or moving to a care community.
Seniors are afraid they will be forced to leave their home.
Families are not aware of what their options might be.

Health

Medications are expensive. Can I afford them? Who will pay?
Reluctance to bother family members. My doctor and I are dealing with it. My kids dont need to worry.
The attitude: Im old anyway, so why should it matter.

Driving

Seniors fear they wont be able to get around if they have to quit driving.
Adult children worry that seniors will hurt themselves or someone else.
Older adults could have an inaccurate perception of their ability to drive.
Adult children could feel its disrespectful to ask a parent to give up his or her keys.

End of Life

People think they still have plenty of time to address end-of-life issues.
Im afraid talking about this will lead to a family fight.
I dont want to worry my kids.
I dont know where to start the conversation.

If youre dealing with any of these issues, consider completing the 40-70 Rule: An Action Plan for Successful AgingSM at www.4070Talk.com to help develop a plan for tackling the sensitive subjects of aging.

Editors Note: This article was submitted by Jerri Schomaker, is an Owner/CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, Colorado Springs and may be reached at 719-534-0908 or by email at jschomaker@homeinstead.com

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