How To Deal With Seniors’ Resistance To Care

1. How To Deal With Seniors’ Resistance To Care When caring for the elderly, one of the most challenging things you may confront is resistance to care. How can you assist a senior loved one who refuses to accept help? In this article, let’s understand why resistance is an issue and how we can encourage our senior loved ones to cooperate with us to provide the type of care they need.

2. Understanding seniors’ resistance to care Whether the subject circles around assisted living (e.g. moving to a care facility, utilising personal alarm systems for seniors, wearing pendant alarms, hiring in-home caregivers, etc.), it’s pretty common for seniors to display resistance to these interventions. So what causes this behaviour anyway? If your senior loved one requires assistance, they are most likely in a challenging phase. They are dealing with life-altering problems such as physical, mental, or emotional loss, including losing independence. Accepting assistance may imply giving up their privacy and changing their routine. As a result, your senior loved one may feel fearful, vulnerable, or furious that he or she requires assistance, which may also spark feelings of guilt about being a burden to family and friends. In certain circumstances, your loved one may be stubborn, have mental health issues, or believe that accepting help is a sign of weakness. They may also be concerned about the expense of some types of care. If they have a medical condition that affects their mental health, memory loss could also make it difficult for your loved one to comprehend why they require assistance. ALSO READ: 5 Stimulating and Helpful Home Activities for People With Dementia

3. How can you effectively respond to your senior loved one’s resistance to care? Take a deep breath and try not to get overpowered by your emotions. While you may be offended or upset, try to put yourself in the position of your loved one. Respond to them with patience and understanding if they begin to resist. Always address them directly in the eyes and talk clearly, but never in a harsh or annoyed tone. Physical difficulties, slow movements, carelessness, feelings of inadequacy, and indifference are some of the behaviours you may face. So it goes without saying that patience and compassion are really required during these moments. While it’s easy to lose patience and feel frustrated at times, showing your senior loved ones that you’re thinking about their welfare can be open doors toward full cooperation. If all else fails, you can always employ the help of a professional if your loved one continues to reject care and is already harming themselves. Your loved one may be more amenable to a doctor’s recommendations about the significance of receiving care. It’s also essential to keep a senior loved one involved in choices regarding their care and discuss the benefits of the support.

4. What can assistive care technology contribute? There are many ways to care for a senior loved one, and one of the most effective ways is providing them with the independence they want. With the help of assistive care technologies, such as personal alarm systems for seniors, you can intervene with your loved ones’ resistance to care without making them feel vulnerable. They know they can’t do everything on their own, but they don’t want to rely on anyone to do everything for them. This is why assistive care technology can be extensively beneficial. Learn more about these care devices for seniors at Tunstall Healthcare. Get in touch with us today.