Why Is Your Senior Worried about Advance Planning?

August 30, 2019 by Michael Drew, LNHA
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End-of-Life Care in Easton PAPutting off advance planning is not a good solution, especially if your senior is getting closer to that time when some of those plans need to be put into place. Here are some of the reasons your senior might be resisting.

“You Already Know What I Want”

One of the most common misunderstandings when it comes to planning your senior’s end-of-life care is often that she believes that you already just know what she wants. You might have an idea what she wants, but that doesn’t mean that you feel comfortable with every detail. It’s much better for your senior to get as specific as possible so that you’re not left doubting any aspect of advance planning.

She Doesn’t Know What She Wants

The flip side of that dilemma is that your senior might not know what she wants now and in the future, either. This makes planning more difficult because she’s the person who needs to be making those decisions. Your senior’s health, and the changes that she’s experiencing because of her health, might be part of why she’s not sure what she wants. Talking with her doctor and getting as much information as possible can help immensely.

She’s Not “Sick Enough” Yet

Lots of times aging family members want to wait until they’re just ill enough to make these types of decisions. Unfortunately, these decisions aren’t really about how sick she is because there are lots of things that need to be done now to protect her quality of life. If you can talk to her about the fact that you want to do what’s best for her both now and in the future, that might help her to see that these are talks she needs to embrace now.

She Doesn’t Want to Do the Paperwork

Another misunderstanding that your senior might be clinging to is that advance planning means doing a lot of paperwork. There might well be a good bit of paperwork that needs doing in order to get some of your senior’s decisions in motion, but that doesn’t mean that she’ll have to handle all of it. The fear of paperwork shouldn’t be enough to keep her from even talking about these decisions, though, especially after you let her know you’ll take care of it.

Once you understand why your elderly family member is avoiding end-of-life planning, you can do more to help her. End-of-life care providers can help both of you, in fact. They can put you in touch with resources that ensure that your senior’s advance planning gets her all of the results that she truly wants for her and for you.

If you or an aging parent is considering end-of-life care in Easton, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.

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