Unfortunately, even if your elderly loved one doesn’t want help, they might need it. You and elder care providers might have to come up with ways to help your elderly loved one. If your elderly loved one is stuck in their own ways, has dementia, or just doesn’t want help from anyone, there are some things that you can do.
Show Them Understanding
If you or an elder care provider needs to help your loved one, but they don’t want to accept the help, there could be many reasons for this. Your elderly loved one might not feel like people understand what they are feeling or what they are going through. If you can start showing your elderly loved one that you do understand them, they might be more willing to accept the help that you are offering. For instance, many elderly people feel like they are losing their independence when they get help. Do you think this is how your elderly loved one is feeling? If so, you should talk to them about their feelings and letting them know you do understand. This could push your loved one to let go of their resistance to receiving help.
Asking Questions
You might want to help your elderly loved one, but they aren’t accepting of that help. One of the reasons why is because they don’t know exactly what you are trying to do. If the help you are trying to give to your loved one isn’t extremely urgent, you can try asking questions. For instance, you could say “dad, wouldn’t it be good if you didn’t have to do the dishes anymore?” By asking a question, you can learn how your elderly loved one feels about that particular task. In this instance, if your dad responded with “yes, I get angry when I have to do the dishes”, then you know that they are more likely to accept help with that task.
Have Some Patience
If you are trying to help your elderly loved one, especially if they have dementia, it is important to remember that they might not stay focused for very long. If this is the case, you might get frustrated that one conversation takes longer than you think it should. Try your best to have patience. If you can be patient and get through the conversation, you can better learn how to help your loved one.
Conclusion
If your elderly loved one is refusing to accept help from you, there is probably a reason why. If you have patience and take time to get to the bottom of it, your elderly loved one will be more likely to accept your help. If they just don’t want help from a family member, you can hire elder care providers to help them.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers/caregiving
If you or an aging loved-one is considering elder care in Manteca, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.
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