Uncooperative Elder Who Doesn ’t Want To Work With Therapist Frustrates Caregiver

Photo credit Angels Vicente Dear Carol: My mother, 93, is mentally sharp and lives in her own retirement apartment. As would be expected, she has some physical problems including arthritis severe enough that she needed a hip replacement in her 70s. She uses a walker but her balance is iffy even with that. I’d like her to have physical therapy to help her improve her balance because of the risk of falling. I’ve communicated with a doctor and she said that we could have a therapist come to the apartment twice a week but Mom refuses. She takes little medication so there’s nothing detrimental that I can see that we can change except to improve her balance. It makes me angry that she won’t allow this therapist to come to help her. She’s always hated people fussing over her, so I get where she is coming from, but still, but she needs to have this therapy to stay on her feet. How can I convince her?– MJ Read more about how to cope with an older adult who doesn't want to do physical therapy on Inforum: MedicareFAQ – Medicare Resource Center Support a caregiver or jump-start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders of Minding Our Elders e-mail Carol                  Related StoriesSon's Misunderstanding of Dad's Mild Cognitive Impairment BurdensomeIs Caregiving Taking a Toll on Your Marriage?How to Join Membership In Dr. Kernisan's Helping Older Par...
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs