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Something’s not right

Eden1919
Senior Contributor

Family member who needs care but doesnt believe anything is wrong...

 Hello my Aunt has undiagnosed mental health issues (we believe it to be autism) but doesnt accept that she is different and refuses to see any professionals about this issue. she is around 50yrs of age and has never left home she lives with her elderly mother who has health issues of her own and is worried about what will happen to my aunt when she passes. my aunt doesnt really have any friends of her own and struggles with most tasks she also struggles to find work we are not a wealthy family and cant support her on our own very well and she lives far away from the rest of the family so it is hhard to check in on her. how do you get someone financial support and social support when they are unable to see that they have a problem? 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Family member who needs care but doesnt believe anything is wrong...

@Eden1919 Hi Eden1919 you would really have to have your aunt assessed by a pdoc. Once this is done then she could apply for disability allowance. It sounds like the whole family would have to get involved into supporting her through this process. 

I would say little steps (sounds as if you are trying this already). Has your aunt got good language skills? To get the disability allowance for autism she will really have to be autistic .... my autistic son doesnt have to reapply every six months (thank God) but my daughter (with Aspergers, depression) does and it is a stress ... would your aunt do that?

There seems alot to consider. Could she move in with another member of the family once her mother passes or goes into a aged care facility? That is what families did in the old days with their eccentric relatives ...  I don't envy you any of this but it should not all fall on your shoulders.

Re: Family member who needs care but doesnt believe anything is wrong...

@greenpea she will not see any professionals to be assessed and the problem is if her mother does pass then the only person she will listen to is her sister (my mother) who has her own health issues. her language skills are fine but she doesnt clean things or have any social connections and struggles with schooling so doesnt have any high qualifications to earn enough money to support herself. she also doesnt do things like pay bills or fix the house where needed it is hard because compared to some people her functioning is not too bad but she does still struggle with a lot of important thing and a lot of the stuff she can do she can only do with assistance. 

Re: Family member who needs care but doesnt believe anything is wrong...

@Eden1919 Hi Eden1919 I wonder why she wont ... maybe she is scared she will be taken away .... sounds like something is scaring her. She sounds like she could be on the spectrum .... I wish I could be of more help unless everything has to fall down like a house of cards around her and then maybe she will call for help and then conditions must be placed like seeing a doctor. What a worry for your mother and yourself I can only imagine.

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