There may be situations in which your senior refuses your help in particular. She may even be fully aware that she needs help from someone, but what if she doesn’t want help specifically from you? That can be a tough pill to swallow and you definitely don’t want to risk handling this situation the wrong way.
Caregiver Massapequa NY – How to Cope When Your Senior Doesn’t Want Your HelpRole Reversal Is Hard for Her, Too
It’s difficult for aging family members to accept that they’re at a point where they need more help. Your senior may very well have been the family member that was helping everyone else, so it’s difficult to now be the one who needs much more assistance. Getting through that shift in roles can be really, really difficult and it may take some time.
Talk and Listen
You really need to sit down with your senior and share what you’re feeling. More importantly, though, you need to make sure you’re listening and truly hearing what she’s telling you. If she’s okay with being completely honest with you about what she’s feeling and why she’s feeling that way, take it to heart. Her refusal of your assistance may have some deep meanings for her and it’s important to her that she feels heard and understood.
Keep Offering, but Respectfully
Situations do change. It’s also in your nature as a caregiver to continue to offer help. You can definitely do that, but make sure that you’re offering help as respectfully as you possibly can. If you start to be pushy or try to demand that your senior accept your help, you may find that she digs her heels in even more firmly and that’s not what you want.
You May Need to Back Off for the Time Being
In the end, you may have to back away completely from the topic. Again, your senior’s situation and feelings about accepting your help may change. If you’ve given her time to think about the situation more, that can be one result. Make sure that even if you stop offering overt help, you’re still there for her just in case.
Some aging adults are anxious about accepting help from close family members, even if they do know that they need more help. If your senior seems to be feeling this way, another answer may be to bring in home care providers. They can offer the help that you’re trying to offer, but your senior may be more accepting of it.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Caregiver Services in Massapequa NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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