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What To Do if Your Aging Parents Don't Want Help

You may want to care for your aging parents, but they are combative and unyielding when you offer support. This situation is challenging, especially when you know they cannot perform tasks like they used to. To address this circumstance, here is what to do if your aging parents don’t want help.

Focus on the Bright Side

The way you approach the topic affects how your parents respond. If you come at them with a long list of their limitations and problems, they’ll likely shut down and refuse to engage with any solutions. Instead, focus on the bright side and discuss the things that matter to them. If their independence is essential to their lifestyle, show them how your help will facilitate that independence. With a positive angle, you can easily avoid tension in the discussion.

Take Small Steps

Small steps are the key to a successful journey, especially when it involves your relationship with your parents. Instead of advocating bold, swift action that drastically alters your aging parents’ life, find small ways to support them. Take the conversation slowly and don’t force the subject when they aren’t open to it. Focus on suggesting changes over time that make sense to them. For example, instead of moving straight from their life at home to an assisted living community, try a plan that involves in-home nursing care and an independent living community before assisted living.

Adjust Your Attitude

If your parents remain stubborn, your frustration or stubbornness in return will only worsen the situation. Though it requires incredible restraint, your attitude is the key to a productive conversation. Lean into your patience and remember that your parents are still grappling with their life changes and want to delay the inevitable. Reassure them that you’re on their side and show your intentions through your approach in conversation.

Regardless of their underlying motivations for obstinance, there are ways to help your parents. Know what to do if your aging parents don’t want help and address their concerns directly. If you need private duty nursing in Washington state, our team at Fedelta Home Care can help you find the perfect match for your parents.