When it comes to providing Trusted In Home Senior Care, one of the most difficult obstacles that caregivers will typically face is a resistance to receiving care. It sounds unusual but this is a very real challenge that is quite common in elderly adults.
But in order to offer exceptional senior care, either directly or by hiring a professional to do the work, it’s critical to understand why an elderly adult might exhibit such resistance and what can be done tmeet this challenge in a kind and compassionate manner.
Why Resistance?
Many senior adults who are in a position where they require some type of assistance or personal care are typically dealing with significant life-changing events that ofren incorporate loss of some kind. That loss could be related to a physical or mental disability which has prompted the need for routine care. It could also mean a loss of personal freedom and independence simply because there is someone coming into the home to help the senior live his or her life with as much normalcy as possible.
These things can be hard to accept for anyone and even tougher in elderly patients. They may be concerned about any number of things from their own personal gripes and feelings of finding them in this situation to the costs for this form of care and who might be paying those expenses. These issues can also be exacerbated by any medical issues the senior might be dealing with at the time.
How To Deal With Resistance
It starts with discussing the matter with your senior directly. Perhaps it’s a conversation your senior will have their doctor as well as you or any other loved ones who are stakeholders in the senior’s well-being.
Decide on what type of help is truly necessary for the senior’s specific requirements for care and start a dialogue with him or her about their preferences and wishes. They may tell you their main preference is not to receive care but explaining exactly how everything would proceed in a care situation might help them better understand and accept receiving this care.
But even after having a talk with your senior he or she may still be resistant to care. There are ways to try to alleviate the concerns and protests he or she might have and through careful strategizing you can develop a method for cooperation between the caregiver and your senior.
You could allow the senior to try it out for a short period of time and see whether he or she still feels the same way about this arrangement after a week or two. You can also explain the care process in a positive manner that always demonstrates the benefits of receiving this type of assistance.
Most important of all, address your senior’s concerns. Never tell your elderly adult that they are being silly or not to worry about the arrangement. Even if their concerns might seem a little far-fetched or even unfounded, you must still discuss them in a mature and concerned manner. The best way to lower resistance to care is to eliminate the reasons behind that resistance as best you can.