It should be no surprise, then, that aging people who find themselves needing care may be resistant to asking for or accepting help from other people. Family members and friends may struggle to understand why a loved one lashes out in anger at the prospect of receiving care, or cheerfully ignores any attempt to broach the subject. Their rejection can seem foolish, stubborn, or even malicious, until one realizes that they are afraid- afraid of seeming weak or pitiful, afraid of losing their freedom and agency, and most fundamentally, afraid of losing their dignity.