Four Arthritis Tips for Stubborn Seniors
Arthritis can become a problem for anyone, including your extremely stubborn aging family member. If your elderly family member is trying to manage her arthritis on her own, she might not be having the success that she wants. These ideas can help.
Her Doctor Really Can Help Her
Some people look at arthritis as something that is inevitable along with aging. But being in pain all the time doesn’t have to be how your elderly family member lives. She can actually get a lot more help from her doctor than she might think, especially if she hasn’t had her arthritis officially diagnosed yet. There are over a hundred different types of arthritis and her doctor can help her to narrow down what’s affecting her.
She May Need to Go with the Flow More than Usual
Your senior needs to learn to honor and respect the rhythm of her body’s needs. Some days may be easier on her than other days and she may be able to do more. This can impact how she plans her activities and her routines, too. Help her to determine when she’s likely to feel better, such as mid-morning after her body has warmed up a little bit and before she’s already done too much for the day.
Setting Goals Can Make a Big Difference
Treatment goals give your elderly family member something to aim for with her care plan. These goals need to be ones that challenge your senior a bit but that is achievable for them as well. Goals that are too lofty are ones that your senior will give up on easily. One easy goal, in the beginning, might be to start a doctor-sanctioned exercise routine. Once she’s got that going, her goal might be to exercise a certain number of times per week.
Accepting Help Is not a Bad Thing
Stubborn seniors are often reluctant to accept much help. But having elder care providers come in to cook for her or to help with light housekeeping can make your senior’s life easier without damaging her independence. Anything that improves her quality of life is something that she needs to embrace for now.
If your elderly family member has been fiercely independent for a long time, worsening arthritis pain can feel like a failure of sorts for her. Try to be understanding and supportive of how she’s feeling. She’ll gradually come to understand that you’re there to help her, not to hinder her.
