Older adults are advised to see a doctor at least once a year for a medical checkup. While family members may be well-meaning and schedule the appointment, the senior can outright refuse to go. Naturally, caregivers start to worry. Here’s what to do when the elderly loved one resists.

Why do seniors need to see a doctor?

An annual checkup can uncover new diseases and diagnoses. During the visit, the physician will take blood or urine samples to check for new or worsening health conditions. Vaccines may also be updated, which is crucial for seniors who travel overseas.

The risks for some conditions increase as people age. These diseases may include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Arthritis is also likely to affect older people. Other conditions, like urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and shortness of breath, warrant a trip to the doctor’s office.

If a senior falls and suffers a major injury, such as a broken hip or a traumatic brain injury, a visit to the emergency can be a life-saving measure. A minor burn is addressed by a physician. When antibiotics are necessary, a doctor prescribes them after seeing the patient.

Why do seniors refuse to see a doctor?

Some older adults grow wary of doctors and hospitals over time, while others hold a lifelong distrust of the medical system and even medications. Seniors may also be fearful of what a doctor’s visit may reveal: a new health problem or the worsening of an existing condition.

“Ignorance is bliss” is an easy approach to dodging possibly unpleasant information about their health. While this tactic may be acceptable to seniors, their caregivers experience frustration and anxiety. After all, the job of caregivers is to ensure the health and safety of their aging loved ones.

What should caregivers do when seniors refuse a doctor’s visit?

1. Understand Their Rights

Firstly, it’s important that caregivers understand that older people of sound might have the right to refuse medical treatment. Seniors who are competent in decision-making can manage their personal health independently, as long as their decisions do not put the community at risk.

This means that caregivers cannot force their aging loved ones to submit to healthcare treatment, even if it would be beneficial to the latter’s health and well-being. Although some seniors make poor choices about their healthcare, they remain entitled to accepting or declining treatments.

2. Work with a Geriatrician

Find a compatible doctor who has a heart for the elderly. A geriatrician is someone who is likely to be sympathetic to the unique healthcare needs of seniors. This is because geriatricians specialize in helping older adults with complex medical and mental health issues.

An experienced geriatrician is well-versed in treating maladies that commonly affect the aging population, such as dementia, and communicates well with their elderly patients. Locate a geriatrician through an Area Agency on Aging or through major medical centers and medical universities.

3. Ask a Friend to Escort the Senior

An older adult who refuses to see the doctor may be persuaded by a friend of the same age. A peer can share their experiences with the healthcare system and offer encouragement to pursue care. Expanding the senior’s support network in this way is a win for everyone.

4. Seek the Physician’s Support

A senior may be willing to visit a familiar primary care physician but not a brand-new specialist. If their physician is someone the older adult trusts, ask the professional to put in a good word for the specialist, such as how much they’ve helped other seniors.

5. Hold a Conversation

Family caregivers who are frustrated with their aging loved one may become pushy or demanding. A forceful strategy is unlikely to win over the senior. Instead, try conversing with the older adult, sharing concerns about their health and casually suggesting lunch afterward.

Older people don’t want to burden their families. But by expressing concerns pleasantly, caregivers show how important their aging loved one’s health is to them. Family members who take the senior to the doctor can convey how important it is to spend this time with them, too.

6. Explore Alternatives

If the senior continues to resist visiting the healthcare clinic, consider other options. Seniors can receive medical attention through telemedicine, which provides remote clinical services in real-time. Telehealth visits can be easily done online with a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Some doctors are available for house calls. Visits are especially useful to seniors who struggle with mobility issues and those who are too sick to travel to the doctor’s office. An aging adult may be more open to accepting a house call, which is convenient when they are sick.

Seniors who are willing to accept physician house calls are likely to welcome qualified caregivers into their home. Caregivers are tasked with promoting the physical, social, and emotional health of seniors—these are our priorities at Assisting Hands Home Care.

We offer numerous non-medical senior home care services, designed to keep the elderly independent. Older adults who prefer to age in place find that our in-home services help them achieve their goal. Caregivers provide quality support with the activities of daily living, from hygiene to housekeeping.

Our professionals prepare nutritious meals, shop for fresh groceries and provide transportation to the doctor’s office. We offer transfer assistance, moving a senior from a bed to a chair, for instance. Our pleasant companionship keeps loneliness, isolation, and depression away.

Care options are flexible, ranging from respite care to 24-hour care. Families and their aging loved ones have full confidence in our professionals, who are licensed, bonded, and insured. Compatibility is key, as we strive to match a caregiver who is likely to have good rapport with a care recipient.

Unlike persuading a senior to visit a doctor, convincing them of the benefits of elder care from Assisting Hands Home Care is easy. We support their independence and give them the opportunity to remain at home.

For more information on senior care services in Las Vegas, Nevada, call us at (725) 696-9942.