Resisting outside help is extremely common for aging family members. Your elderly family member might see this as a failing on her part, even though it isn’t about that at all. When your senior continues to resist the idea of bringing in help, you might need to try one or more of these ideas.
Offer a Trial Run of Some Type of Assistance
Sometimes what your elderly family member needs is a small dose of what having some extra help could be like. Offering a trial run of help gives her a chance to experience what she might be missing. She can also see firsthand how having a little bit of help gives you relief. If she doesn’t want to continue after that, you might have to find another line of reasoning.
Remind Her of Her Own Goals
Often aging family members want to remain as independent as they can for as long as they can. Elderly care providers can help them to do that. Your senior’s own goals can help you to convince her that this is in her best interests. Outline for her what they can help her to do and how they can help her to meet her goals now and in the immediate future.
Explain Why Her Acceptance of Help Gives You a Hand
Your senior may not fully understand what’s going on with you as a caregiver. It can be tough to understand that you’re not able to get as much done as you’d like to, both for her and for you. When you explain that having help allows you to do more in each day, that can be a big selling point for your aging family member.
Let Her Know about the Consequences
You might need to let your elderly family member know that you’re at your breaking point, especially if that’s true. She may need to finally see that you have limits and that without help, you can’t continue to care for her in the way that you have. These aren’t threats at all. Instead, you’re letting her know that if you don’t have a way to relieve some of the workload, you won’t be able to keep up.
Ideally, one of these solutions will help to convince your senior to give elderly care providers a chance. If she still won’t budge, you might have to postpone the conversation for a little bit longer. Sometimes it just takes a little bit more time than you think it should.
