February brings us Valentine’s Day expressions of love for our dear ones. As Caregivers, showing our love for our aging parents can be difficult. As many of us with children remember, saying Yes to each of our children’s wants is not necessarily an act of love. Saying No sometimes is tough but essential in helping children learn healthy boundaries. Thus the notion of Tough Love.
With our older parents and loved ones, it is common to encounter difficult situations when it may be necessary to make decisions which make our loved ones feel angry or distrustful. The following are examples of such situations:
- When your parent or loved one refuses needed care/assistance in the home.
- When they can no longer safely drive and insist on doing so.
- When they won’t accept care because they feel that it is too expensive.
As a Caregiver, making sure your loved one is safe and cared for can mean making Tough Love decisions. No one wants to upset a loved one, and yet, it may be part of the caregiving role to do so. Utilizing the professional skills of a Geriatric Care Manager can help with softening some of these tough decisions. As a professional, I am in a position to “normalize” these decisions, allowing Caregivers the space to remain loving family members.
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