Should Companion Care in San Elijo Hills Say “No” More Often?

Saying No Companion Care In San Elijo HillsHow Can You Protect Your Parents When They Can’t Protect Themselves?

The best companies providing companion care in San Elijo Hills and in other cities share your passion for treating seniors with respect, dignity, and love. However, it is also important to be aware of the flip side of that passion.

Sometimes, seniors who are losing their mental acuity have an incorrect idea of what they are capable of. Some experts and commentators, including Newsweek editor David Frum, are warning that we must do a better job of helping them strike that balance for the sake of everyone’s safety.

The Most Obvious Problem

The clearest example of this difficulty is the one that many families face as parents grow older: When is it time to ask Mom or Dad to surrender the car keys?

Statistics and frightening anecdotes alike show that when seniors display poor judgment about their ability to safely drive a car, everyone around them is in grave danger. Adult children dread telling their parents, whom they respect, that their previously self-sufficient parents now need to give up this central element of their independence.

A Larger Problem Than the Need for Companion Care

Aside from simply arranging for transportation and companion care in San Elijo Hills or elsewhere, the children of elderly parents often have a responsibility to me mindful of potential danger in other areas of life as well, for the safety of the seniors themselves and that of those around them.

Keeping elderly parents in San Diego County and elsewhere with dementia away from the stove is a matter of safety, as is preventing them from leaving the house alone. While there may be tense conversations about these decisions, ultimately these at-risk seniors must defer to the judgment of their adult children.

A Solid Foundation

The best preparation for these kinds of difficult decisions is a lifetime of trust, honesty, and preparation between seniors and their children. Don’t wait until the last minute to address driving and cooking dangers with parents.

Instead, make it a topic of conversation when they are still able to reason clearly and come to an agreement with you about what is best for everyone. Later on, when it’s time to make real changes and arrange for companion care, your loved ones will hopefully find it easier to follow your lead.

Originally posted 2012-07-06 17:30:11.

Tim Colling
Tim Colling

Tim Colling is the founder and President of A Servant's Heart In-Home Care, which provided in-home caregiving services in San Diego County, and also of A Servant's Heart Geriatric Care Management, which provided
professional geriatric care management services and long term care placement services in San Diego County. Tim has more than 30 years of experience in management in a variety of industries. He held a Certified Care Manager credential from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. Tim is also a Certified Public Accountant (retired), and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University at San Diego. In addition to writing blog posts here for the Servant’s Heart blog, Tim also is a regular contributor to HealthLine.com and to FamilyAffaires.com as well as blogs of other eldercare services provider companies. Finally, Tim is also the president of A Servant's Heart Web Design and Marketing, which provides home care marketing as well as website design and online marketing for those who serve the elderly and their families.

Articles: 557
Skip to content