What can I say to my aunt to get her to see a doctor, and get a second opinion?

[Nicholas1302]

My aunt moved in with me about 7 months ago. she's had trouble walking for the past couple years. She's fallen a few times since she moved in. She's been doing good lately, but today when she got back from her cleaning job, she couldn't even lift herself out of her car. I had to lift her up, and help her walk inside, and into her bedroom. She sees someone who's not a doctor, but prescribes medicine for her. He said that it's just old age, but she's only 68. My mom, and I have talked to her about seeing a real doctor, and she refuses. Maybe they could properly diagnose whats going on, and treat it, instead of just throwing drugs at it, and hoping they work. Instead she just wants to lay in her room and wallow. I understand, it would massively suck not being able to walk, but I think she needs to help herself more. I don't know what to say to get her to see a doctor.

[Clear_Skies10]

She does a cleaning job and can barely walk? That's crazy. That type of work is all physical labor.

[Nicholas1302]

Yeah she often has to go home before she's done, because her body can't take it. She only works for about an hour though.

[Clear_Skies10]

That place must be desperate for janitors to hire a crippled woman for an hour a day. I don't know what to do with your aunt. I suppose she doesn't want to go to the doctor because it costs too much in your country.

[Nicholas1302]

Nah, her insurance would cover it. She just told me that the main reason she doesn't want to go to a dr is because they might take away her pain pills that she's so heavily dependant on.

[Clear_Skies10]

Maybe she's got an opioid addiction at this point. She should quit the janitor job and get on some kind of disability payments if you have that in the US.

[Nicholas1302]

Thanks. I'll talk to her about that.