What Do You Do if Your Older Loved One Refuses Care?

older man smiling

Stubbornness knows no age, especially when it involves elderly care. Of course, any child would want the best care for their parents—there is peace of mind in knowing that they are provided with sufficient support and loving care.

However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that choosing to invest in home health service isn’t only up to you; your aging loved one also has a say as to whether they would receive care or not.

When Your Elderly Loved Ones Refuses Help

Adults are expected to be mostly independent. As children, we were slowly taught to do things on our own until, eventually, we could live on our own, solve our problems, and address our needs without much support from others. Regardless of how independent you are, there will come a time when you won’t be able to provide for everything you need on your own and would need the help of others.

Most times, the struggle of providing home health to the elderly isn’t the service provider’s fault. The main problem many families have trouble overcoming is the refusal of their older loved ones to receive care. Becoming reliant on others after years of independent living isn’t easy to accept. 

Aging can be a less than pleasant process, so it would be understandable for seniors to struggle with losing their fear of independence. However, whether they like it or not, they need to receive care—if you let their stubbornness get in the way, their health may significantly decline.

How to Get a Senior to Accept Care

Dealing with stubbornness in seniors is undoubtedly challenging, but getting them to accept home health is possible! The feelings of your elderly loved one are common and valid—many others have dealt with the same thoughts and emotions and have received the necessary support in the end.

If you’ve been in this tricky situation, just read on below to find out what you can do:

1. Understand Their Feelings

Understanding is crucial to reaching acceptance. Before you attempt to convince them to accept elderly care, you must first put yourself in their shoes and learn what makes them feel the way they do. By understanding the causes of your loved one’s behavior, you’ll be able to communicate with them better and learn how best to tell them that they need help.

2. Ask About Their Preferences

Just because they’ve gotten older doesn’t mean that they can’t make decisions for themselves. If your older loved one is of sound mind, then they’ll most likely want to express their wishes. 

It helps to hear them out. Before you commit to a home health service, make sure to ask your older loved one about their preferred type of care. You may not meet all of their wishes, but simply considering them will help a lot.

3. Focus on the Positives

Elderly care will certainly take away some of their independence, which may cause your loved one to feel depressed. 

To ensure that they live happily while receiving the care they need, we recommend giving them a sense of independence by discussing what activities they can still do on their own. Letting them do the normal activities they can manage will significantly improve their mental health.

Conclusion

Receiving elderly care isn’t always easy to accept when you’ve lived independently for most of your life. All it takes is the proper steps to get your older loved one to relieve them of the resentment and anxiety towards elderly care! As long as you follow our tips and work with a kind and supportive home health provider, your loved one will be able to live happily and well for the rest of their later years.

Are you seeking the best elderly care in California for your loved one? Then, leave the job to our team at Bridge Home Health to provide support! We will make sure to provide your loved ones the care they need, the convenience they want, and the treatment they deserve. Connect with us today to learn more!