Submitted on Wednesday August 21st, 2013
Has your loved one ever flatly rejected your perfectly sensible solution to their problem?
Though your idea may seem like the obvious route to take, it’s not so simple when you’re caring for an older adult. Your loved one has had a lifetime of making his or her own choices.
If a decision must be made, start with one simple principle: Take your eye off the goal. Focus on the process instead. We all want to be treated like people rather than like a project in need of completion.
Involve your relative in decision making (assuming he or she is mentally up to the task). Do what you can to provide a range of choices so your relative retains as much control as possible.