Control can be a huge issue for your senior at this stage of her life. When she turns that urge for control around on you, though, things can get dicey.
Home Care Bellmore NY – Is There Anything You Can Do about a Controlling Senior?
Let Her Know How You Feel
You might think that your reactions to your senior’s controlling behaviors are obvious, but they might not be nearly as obvious as you think. Be completely open and honest with your senior and state outright how these situations make you feel. If she still doesn’t want to talk about modifying her behavior, you may need to try something else.
Make Boundaries and Communication an Ongoing Thing
One time isn’t enough for you to talk about how you feel regarding this topic. You’re going to need to set boundaries and stand by them. Let your elderly family member know that if she engages in specific behavior again, like yelling at you, that you’ll have to walk away until she’s calmer. The tough part is following through with those boundaries, but you have to do it.
Get as Much Information about Her Health as You Can
Lots of seniors who are feeling incredibly controlling are in situations where they feel incredibly out of control. Your elderly family member might not be able to do anything about her health, so she tries to micromanage you instead. One of the best ways for you to deal with that is to learn as much as you can about what’s going on with her health.
Delegate a Little More Often
If there’s a chance for you to hand things over to someone else, like to home care providers, that might be the best thing for you to do. One reason this makes more sense is that very often a senior who is feeling controlling is less likely to do that with someone besides you. Handing everything over to someone else takes you out of the firing line.
Take Time for Yourself
It’s more crucial than ever before for you to take time just for you. Respite time is always important, but when your senior and you are in a battle of wills more often than not, you need time to recharge. Make sure that you’re getting that time for yourself.
Caregiving is definitely not easy when you and your senior are battling constantly. You can do quite a bit to improve the situation, but she has to want to improve the situation a bit, too.