Why Some Family Caregivers Refuse Help
Even when family caregivers have access to help, many still come up with excuses to turn down assistance. Learning to accept support and assistance will ensure you can have a life apart from the needs of your care receiver.
Throughout my years of experience providing care for aging loved ones, I’ve encountered a variety of reasons why caregivers deny the need for outside help. Ultimately, family caregivers must acknowledge and work through their motivations for wanting to be an elder’s sole care provider.
Caregivers often endure high stress levels (especially those with little or no support) and many eventually become burned out—a condition that should not be taken lightly. Although it can be difficult, accepting and seeking out help prevents burnout and benefits caregivers and care recipients.
Things That Prevent Caregivers from Accepting Help
Protective Instincts: While many caregivers come to terms with the fact that we can’t make our loved ones completely healthy and/or independent again, we still want to be the person who cares for them and safeguards their well-being. This protective instinct is often powerful and hard to overcome.
Caregiver Guilt: It is common for feelings of guilt to pop up throughout one’s caregiving journey, even though they are usually undeserved. To make matters worse, guilt-trips are often self-imposed. Caregivers may feel that their position as a spouse, an adult child, or even a parent requires them to meet all of a loved one’s needs personally. Deserved or not…
Continue reading on Agingcare for insight into some reasons why a caregiver might refuse help:
Helpful Tools:
Stay connected with Memoryboard: Designed by caregivers. Memoryboard helps families share reminders, messages, updates, and photos on an easy-to-use screen designed for people with dementia. Peace of mind for families, independence for loved ones.
Wetness indicator and alert to help manage incontinence with dignity. SenecaSense Home: Discreet Support That Restores Comfort and Confidence
Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, has opened up support! View two free caregiving webinars that can help you help your older parents (and yourself).
Discover the Difference. EGOSAN: The premium incontinence brand caregivers love: They save work! Now Available on Amazon.
