Shared from dailycaring.com.
How much help is too much? Finding a balance is essential
When an older adult starts needing help with everyday activities, we automatically want to provide as much assistance as we can.
We do this because we want them to be safe, we feel that it’s our duty, or we don’t want them to worry about getting through day-to-day life.
But sometimes, these thoughtful instincts could backfire.
As Dr. Barry J. Jacobs writes about caring for his mother, “With all my best intentions and concerted energies, I mostly succeeded in curbing her independence and squelching her spirit. She didn’t see me as her caring son so much as the overbearing usurper of roles she cherished.”
Sometimes in our eagerness to keep our older adult safe, we end up helping too much.
But because our older adult is declining in ability or they switch between good days and bad, it’s essential to find a balance between helping too much or too little.
In his AARP article, Dr. Jacobs recommends 4 ways to help while also encouraging senior independence. Here, we highlight his key points.