June is Cataract Awareness Month and visiting the doctor could be a scary thing for many people, from young children to aging seniors. If your mother falls into that company of souls who have a hard time wanting to get to their doctor (or specialist), you can’t force her. What if it’s the eye doctor? As seniors age, the risk of dealing with any number of vision related problems increase, including glaucoma and cataracts. Could home care make a difference?
Yes, home care may be beneficial.
Some seniors are going to be predisposed to not listening to their spouse or adult children when they mention going to the doctor or visiting their eye care professional. They assume they know what’s best for themselves. They don’t need their daughter or son or other family member -especially someone they once raised- to be telling them what to do.
It’s not really about being told what to do, but rather the shift in the relationship dynamic that could be causing your mother anxiety, stress, and tension. It could also be concerns she has about her vision (or other health issue).
As people age, they will face an increasing risk of vision challenges, including cataracts and glaucoma. In fact, by the time a person hits 80, there is an almost certainty they will have dealt with both of these vision problems, both of them treatable with surgery.
While your mother might be automatically disposed to ignore what you suggest, she probably wouldn’t have that same attitude with a home care aide. Many times, when it’s not family recommending something like visiting an eye doctor but a professional, a senior is more willing to at least listen and consider what he or she is saying (even though it’s exactly the same thing their loved ones have been saying).
It can be frustrating as a family member.
You know you’re right. You see the warning signs from your mother. She’s not seeing as clearly as she did in the past. No, you don’t accept that this is just part of the natural process of aging.
Something is going on with your mother’s vision and you want her to get checked out. And while she won’t listen to you, when you turn to a home care aide for assistance, that not only would be a second person informing her of the importance of visiting an eye doctor, but there’s no long-standing relationship that could impact her acceptance.
Look at it this way: if your mother finally listens to somebody and decides to actually visit her eye care professional, does it matter whether it was you or a home care aide who was able to break through her defenses?
Remember, as she ages and struggles with a host of issues, she is going to be defensive. It has little to nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with her doubt, her fear, or her insecurities about aging. When you understand that and accept home care might help, a world of changes could happen, for the good.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in Wake Forest, NC please contact the caring staff at Affordable Family Care. Serving Raleigh, Greensboro, and the surrounding areas in North Carolina. Call today 919-676-1070.
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