5 steps to starting a conversation about care with your loved one
Here are five key steps from Home Instead Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, and Ledbury to help you in starting a conversation with loved ones about care in later life.
Starting a conversation about care with your loved one can be challenging, but it’s a crucial step toward ensuring they get the support they need as older adults.
At Home Instead Hereford, which also serves Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury and the local area, we work closely to support families to make these discussions easier with empathy, preparation, and open communication. Our goal is always to ensure the best possible care and quality of life for you or your loved one.
Here are five practical steps to get you started
1. Start a conversation early
Many of the families we support in Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, and Ledbury find that starting early helps everyone feel more in control. Ideally, we would all be having conversations about general preferences for care long before the need arises, but in reality, it often starts when we begin noticing changes. It’s always best to open the conversation around care before urgent help is needed.
Starting conversations about care early can ensure your loved one stays comfortable and confident in their own home, living independently for as long as possible. You can begin by asking about their own preferences for when care is needed. About what is important to them in their daily life, perhaps related to staying active, their hobbies or activities in the local area. Discuss any challenges they may be facing or could face, such as managing daily tasks at home, or navigating local appointments or amenities. Early conversations can ease the transition into receiving care, before it becomes a crisis.
2. Address concerns
One of the most common concerns we hear is the discomfort of having someone new in the home, especially for older adults who may have outdated preconceptions about care. Many of the older generations still associate care with institutionalisation or the loss of independence. At Home Instead Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, and Ledbury, we recognise these worries and carefully explain the flexibility of our home care services, to change that perception.
Our carefully selected team always meets ‘the mum and dad test’ and we introduce our Care Professionals to clients before they begin, ensuring your loved one feels comfortable. We also match individuals with clients, based on shared interests, history or care needs, to support building connections.
By providing regular Care Professionals, we ensure your loved one sees familiar faces, creating a sense of stability. Our approach to local, award-winning home care is about maintaining independence and offering companionship-led support to keep doing what you enjoy and living well in your own home.
3. Focus on shared goals and positive outcomes
When discussing care, it’s ideal to focus on shared goals like keeping your loved one healthy, safe, and happy in their own home.
Whether they live in the centre of Hereford or rural areas of Herefordshire, our home care services are designed to support independence, including staying active and connected. Reassure your loved one that our home care—whether it’s help with daily tasks, companionship, or more advanced support—can be tailored to meet their own preferences.
4. Use home tasks as an introduction to home care
One way to ease your loved one into accepting help is by starting with small tasks, like light housekeeping or meal preparation. These can often be good first steps in having someone in the home. At Home Instead Hereford, we’ve found that by starting with regular visits early on, families can avoid future crises, maintain healthy routines, and gradually evolve care plans if needs change. An incremental approach can help your loved one get comfortable with the idea of receiving help, without feeling overwhelmed.
5. Listen and be patient
Being patient and listening to your loved one’s concerns is key to ensuring they feel heard and respected. They might worry about losing their privacy or independence, especially if they’ve spent many years managing on their own. By acknowledging these worries and explaining that care is about enabling, not restricting, their independence, you can reassure them that professional home care from Home Instead Hereford supports their wellbeing, not hinders it.
A real-life example from Home Instead Hereford
“We (my mother and myself) felt nervous and apprehensive about seeking support to help us care for my lovely grandmother. It really was hugely daunting.
First, a staff member came out to assess my grandmother’s care and support requirements. She was professional, caring and sensitive to my grandmother’s personal and emotional needs, as well as understanding the dynamics and personalities of our family network, and so our journey began.
‘The team’ has been an absolute success; I can not speak highly enough of them. They are professional, caring with dignity always, sympathetic, interacting beautifully with both my mother and Grandmother (lots of laughter). They are an absolute pleasure to have in the home and have bought so much peace of mind for the family.
A huge thank you to all the girls (ladies) for taking such care of my amazing grandmother and the lovely ladies in the office who are always so friendly and efficient.”
5 Star Review from a family of a client, Home Instead Hereford.
Need more local support?
At Home Instead Hereford, we are dedicated to supporting families across Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, and Ledbury in having these important care conversations, and our home care consultation will support you in taking the next step.
To learn more you can download our Home Instead care conversation guide, or call our friendly and professional team at our Hereford Office on 01432 804000 to talk about your needs or to arrange a care consultation.
