When Your Aging Loved One Calls Out

“I want to go home!”
 Your heart is torn. Your aging loved one is living in care now.  How do your respond to such a question?

There isn't a tried and true answer for everyone. You know your aging loved one best and what is all going on for her, in that moment.
 
When she requests to go home or asks when will she go home, first acknowledge what she asked, if you need to, a little white lie can help soothe her in that moment,  then try a redirection.
 
Try this out, see what happens when you redirect to a story of a memory from your teenage years or a childhood memory about growing up. Something positive … even something random but familiar.
 
It could look like this:
Mom: "When am I going home?"
 
"Mom, I'm not quite sure,  we are waiting to hear.  Do you know what just popped into my mind? I was thinking about the front porch of the house we had on the farm. I remember all the flowers you planted along side it --Daffodils. They always came up every spring. I pretended they were little soldiers. I knew better not to touch them."

Then pause and let her take in that story.
The idea is to see if the subject can be moved away (even temporarily) from the stress of wanting to go home/not being at home. To something more soothing and familiar.
 
Your story has potential avenues of additional topics to move further away from the upset and help to calm her in the moment.
 
Using trial and error, you can learn so much about her responses. What works and what doesn't.
 
Quite often home signifies "comfort, security, peace". Give yourself and your aging love one grace as you navigate this time together.