What to do When a Loved One Resists Care

One of the challenges of being a caregiver is knowing what to do when you see that your loved one needs help, but they aren’t willing to accept it.

If you find yourself in this situation, take a deep breath and try to stay calm. There are several methods you can use to encourage your loved one to accept help. Here are some of those methods.

Ways to encourage a loved one to accept help:

At the end of the day, your loved one has the right to refuse care. Here are a few things to remember if they continue to resist help:

If a loved one continues to refuse care...

• Take care of yourself. It becomes harder to help others if you are not ok yourself. Try not to take your loved one’s decision personally. It’s not your fault.

• Don’t give up trying to help them accept care. Sometimes a person will refuse at first but over time they grow more open to receiving help.

• If you feel frustrated or scared, consider attending a support group. Aging & In-Home Services hosts support groups for caregivers. Click HERE to view a schedule of support groups.

If you need help or guidance navigating a situation where a loved one is refusing help, you can always seek help from a health care professional. You can also call Aging & In-Home Services. Our Aging & Disability Resource Center would be happy to provide some direction. They can be reached at 260-469-3036.

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Abbey Graves

ADRC Supervisor