Discussing change can be hard, for all parties. Senior Citizens don’t want to be told what to do, and adult children or professional helpers don’t want to create tension when it comes to change.
These 4 tips will give you a roadmap to having the conversation.
Step 1: Get organized.
Do you have research to share on Senior living? Do you have recent driving situations that were a concern, get those organized.
Step 2: Start the conversation with an open ended question.
I love starting with, “I’ve been thinking about that fender bender you had recently, how are you feeling about it?”
Another example: “It’s been hard for you to maintain your home, how are you feeling about that?”
Step 3: LISTEN
This is the most important step, and one we often overlook. We have to listen to their thoughts and beliefs. Get ready to nod your head, make eye contact or even say, “mmmm yeah…”
Step 4: Ask permission.
This is a commonly over looked step. When we ask permission to share our thoughts our ideas, it helps keep them in control of the conversation. This can sound like this.
“I’ve done some research on Senior Living, for my own education. Would you be open to me sharing what I’ve learned?”