When your senior’s other family members aren’t completely in tune with what’s going on with her, that can get frustrating for you.
Their denial can also make it difficult for you to convince them that you and your senior need some help. Here’s what you need to know so you can start to make some headway with those family members.
Open the Lines of Communication
Your other family members may not fully understand everything that’s going on, hence the denial that they’re experiencing. It might help to open up a conversation with them about what they’re seeing, what they believe is going on, and anything else they want to share. These conversations aren’t necessarily easy for you or for them, but they’re necessary.
Informing Family Members Can Go a Long Way
Sometimes you’ll find in those conversations with other family members that the real problem is that they don’t have accurate information, for whatever reason. There are privacy considerations to think about, so you might want to make sure that your senior is clear about what she wants certain people to know. Once you’re clear on what information gets shared with who, start sharing accurate information.
Don’t Let Yourself Get Stuck in Denial that Isn’t Yours
The big thing for you to remember is that you don’t have to buy into the denial of other people. You know what’s going on and you know what your senior needs most. If hiring elder care providers is truly the best solution for her and for her situation, then you need to go ahead and do that, even if your other family members don’t understand what’s happening.
Denial Isn’t That Unusual
It might seem as if this is a situation you won’t encounter very often. But the hard facts are that denial is a lot more common than you expect. People who aren’t involved intricately in your senior’s care may fill in the blanks with their own information because it’s easier. Remember also that as difficult as it is for you to see the changes your senior is experiencing, it’s equally difficult for other people who love her.
You may not get through to every family member on every piece of what they’re in denial about, but you’ll probably make more progress than you think you will. What’s important is that your senior is getting the care and the help that she needs.