If you and your senior are arguing constantly or you’re finding that she’s upset more often than not, the problem might be that she doesn’t have enough choices. Suddenly having fewer choices than ever before would make anybody cranky and it’s probably part of what has your senior upset.

Caregiving Is More than Doing Things to Your Senior

There’s so much that you’re doing every day as a caregiver. Often you can slip into a pattern in which you wind up doing things in an automatic fashion. That doesn’t happen because you don’t care. It happens because there’s so much going on and so much that you’re doing. It might start to feel to your senior as if you’re doing things to or around her, rather than doing them with or for her.

Choices Matter a Lot More than You Might Realize

From her perspective, there’s a lot that your senior has lost. She might no longer be able to drive and her health and mobility are likely challenged. So if she’s got fewer and fewer choices, that makes things even more difficult. Choices give your senior something that she still has control of, even if there’s not much that falls under that category.
You Have Tons of Opportunities for Choice

There are lots more opportunities for choice every day than you might realize. This is true even if your senior is battling cognitive challenges and facing other issues. You might show her two pieces of clothing and ask which one she’d rather wear. You can also give her a choice in which activity she does next or whether she does something like taking a shower now or in an hour. These are small choices, but they matter.

Make Sure to Notice How Choice Impacts Your Senior’s Attitude

When you’ve been through a few rounds of offering choices, your senior might be starting to respond differently and it can be really amazing for you to see. In the past, she might have been more argumentative with you and upset more often than not. When you’re offering her choices, she’s got some autonomy. That goes a long way toward helping her to experience positive self-esteem again.

If you’re still having trouble coming up with the right kinds of choices for your senior, elderly care providers can help. They can show you some different ways you can incorporate more choices into your senior’s life and help to improve both of your experiences with caregiving.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Lafayette, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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