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Refusing to go to the the doctor

Kann
Kann Member Posts: 4
First Comment 5 Care Reactions
Member

I went to town today with DH. While at lunch, I mentioned going shopping while we're in the city Monday. He asked why we would be in the city. I told him he had an appointment with the brain doctor. He shook his head & said, "I'm not going." I said you promised the doctor you would come back in a year. He said, "I don't care, I'm not going." We went to the car & I drove in silence a little while. Finally, I said, "Why are you so against going?" He said there's nothing they can do. Nothing helps. He & I both stayed calm throughout the talk (yay!). I said, "We need to go to talk with them to see what we can do differently." He said there's nothing. When the time comes, take me out in freezing weather & leave me to die. I said, "That will never happen. This appointment is not just for you, it's for me. To help me help you. Don't you trust me? (Silence) I don't know what to do with you sometimes. You scare me. He laughs & says, Oh boy!" I said, "It's true! See? You don't see it, but everyone else does. I need help!" (Silence) We went in the store, conversation over.

He never wants to go to the doctor. Won't always take his meds. Majority of the time he thinks nothing is wrong with him.

Advice?

Comments

  • BPS
    BPS Member Posts: 442
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    Member

    I think sometimes it is a single word that makes a difference. Maybe just say doctor don't say brain doctor. try not to say anything that relates to brain or dementia unless they want to talk about it which my wife never did.

  • RetiredTeacher
    RetiredTeacher Member Posts: 346
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    Member

    I tell mine it's time for his annual appt and if he doesn't go, Medicare will kick him off the insurance.

  • Millerps1
    Millerps1 Member Posts: 3
    First Comment
    Member
    My DH was recently diagnosed with ALZ and he has never been sick and never really has had to go to doctors. He wouldn’t go for the longest due to his FAA medical. Luckily, he didn’t pass his reoccurrence so he couldn’t fly more so got him to the doctor. It was slow go getting the diagnosis due to all the testing which he hated. Yesterday he was to go for a neuropsychiatric evaluation and refused to go even though he scheduled it the day before when we were with the doctor. I’m in healthcare so I have told him the same thing that medicare is requiring it or we will lose it. It’s so hard and he gets frustrated and then I get frustrated.
  • RetiredTeacher
    RetiredTeacher Member Posts: 346
    500 Care Reactions 250 Likes 100 Insightfuls Reactions 100 Comments
    Member

    It is so hard. We have Kaiser but my husband is a veteran so I wanted him to enroll in VA health care. I know how much he hates drs, doesn't even want a blood test but I told him we had to sign him up because tge VA offers help for drmentia vefs and caregivers that Kaiset does not. I told him in the future I may need that help so he agreed to enroll. Not sure how he will react when he has his first VA drs appt.....

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more