It’s surprising when someone that you love doesn’t want to talk about what’s going on now or what might happen in the future. It’s even more shocking when that’s your aging adult. You know that changes are coming and so does she, so why won’t she talk about it?
She Fears Loss of Independence
Losing independence is a huge fear for most aging adults. Once she’s unable to do certain things, she likely won’t be able to do them again. That becomes even more important when you talk about issues such as whether your elderly family member should continue driving or not.
She Worries that Everyone Will Forget about Her
Lots of aging adults worry that other people in their life will get busy and just forget that she’s there. As she needs more and more help, that fear might become ever larger. Talk to your elderly family member about what she needs now and you can put solutions in place. It doesn’t hurt to reassure her that you want to be there for her, too.
She Worries that She’ll Have to Move
Your senior may feel strongly about staying in her own home and the thought of moving can create genuine anxiety for her. Even talking about the idea that she might have to move at some point in the future can bring up that same level of anxiety.
She Doesn’t Want to Be a Burden
Another common refrain is that aging family members don’t want to be a burden to anyone in their family. They know what it’s like to take care of other family members and they don’t want anyone else to feel taken advantage of or as if they no longer have a life of their own. This can be a big wall to break down.
She Feels as if She’s Doing Fine
Your senior could also be in complete denial. She may honestly believe that everything is fine and that it will continue to be fine, no matter what. Even with evidence to the contrary, you might have to wait to be able to reach through this level of denial.
Keeping your elderly family member safe at home is your biggest priority, but you need to be able to do that with her input and with the information that only she can give you. Hiring elderly care providers can often be a bit of a buffer for your senior if she’s worried about many of these issues. They can help her to keep her life much as it is now, but safer and with assistance.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Park City, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today at 406-839-2390.
