Caring for the elderly can be quite challenging especially the one concerned can be someone with a disability. Be it physical, mental or for that matter some serious ailment that needs undivided attention. The challenge becomes even tougher when you have to deal with someone who doesn’t want any sort of help. The resistance to care coming from a loved one can be rather exhausting, mentally as well as physically.
Understanding the reason for resistance to care can help develop strategies for fostering cooperation.
- Is your loved one dealing with some kind of loss – physical loss, mental loss, the loss of a dear one or even loss of independence
- Is accepting help making them sceptic of abandoning privacy and adjusting to a new routine
- Are they feeling guilty about becoming a liability or burden to their family
- Are they getting a sense of becoming vulnerable
- Do they think that accepting help might portray them as being weak
- Are they worried about the cost of certain types of care
- Could it be memory loss that is making them forget the need for help
The best way to approach such a situation would be to determine what sort of help is needed and then start the conversation when they are in a relaxed state of mind which will at least ensure a listening ear. To encourage co-operation, you might give them an option of trying to take help for some time and then proceed if they are comfortable with it. If possible, try explaining them about care in a positive light. And finally, explain your needs because accepting care by them can make it a lot easier on the rest of the family members.
When the care recipients become increasingly impaired over a period of time, such as with increasing frailty, dementia, Parkinson’s disease or advanced care, the caregiving role expands drastically, not to mention expensive. Anyone who knows anything about how to get paid to take care of a family member with disability with dementia knows only too well how overwhelming and totally immersing that can be. Needless to say, the vast majority of family caregivers look after patients with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. So as a family caregiver it can be disruptive to a certain extent, especially when it comes to your own personal growth and well-being. The least you can do is find out ways to get compensated for the time, effort and money you devote while taking care of your loved one. Listed below are a few avenues that you can pursue financial aid as a caregiver:
- Medicaid funded programs namely CDPAP (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program) and CDPAS (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services). There are certain eligibility criteria that you need to check by contacting your state’s Medicaid Home Attendant Services
- Caregiver Contract – An official agreement or eldercare contract usually among family members specifying the terms, tasks and compensation to the person taking the role of the caregiver
- The Veterans Program that offers a variety of supportive health and financial programs
- Long-Term care insurance policy that pays for home care
- Indirect payment via Tax credit as mentioned under the IRS’s Credit for Caring Act