It’s much more common than you might expect to have your senior be unwilling to change clothes for several days at a time. At first, it might just seem odd. But as the battle you’re waging with your senior goes on longer, you may find yourself more and more frustrated.

Don’t Put Her on the Defensive

If you’re saying things that you know your elderly family member will respond to defensively, that’s just asking for trouble. The atmosphere you’re going for here is one that is loving and supportive. How would you want someone to talk to you about such a sensitive issue? That’s the tone you need to be seeking when you talk to your elderly family member.

Swap out Clothes for Similar Versions

Start paying close attention to the clothes that she’s refusing to change out of on a regular basis. Odds are very good that the clothes she doesn’t like are ones she doesn’t stay in for very long. So what is it that’s appealing to her about the ones she loves? Try to duplicate whatever that is in clothing that’s either an exact duplicate, if possible, or at least really close.

Assess Why She’s Reluctant to Change Clothes

Talk to your elderly family member about why she doesn’t want to change clothes. If it’s the clothes themselves, you can work around that. If there are other factors, you may not ever be able to guess those without a hint or two. See if your senior will talk to you about it. If she is willing to talk, stay open and listen actively.

Step out of the Battle

At some point, you may find that this is a battle that you’re just not going to win. You can keep trying to fight it, but you may end up more exhausted than you expect. Stepping out of the battle is an option, too. Elder care providers can take over helping your senior with personal care tasks, like getting dressed. There may be something about this switch that causes your elderly family member to feel more interested in finally doing what you’ve asked all along.

There’s not always an easy answer for this situation. You need and want your senior to be comfortable, but you also want her to be healthy. If she’s continuing to fight you on this, you may want to talk to her doctor about whether cognitive changes are a factor.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in Hillsborough, 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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