Caregiving for a senior loved one is tough without any support. It can be especially frustrating if there are other family members who do not help out as often as they should. It’s important to understand that your family members may have good intentions, but need some help with direction. If you have been the main caregiver for mom or dad, this is your chance to step up and delegate responsibilities to your other siblings. Here are some tactics to help family members get more involved with senior caregiving from our assisted living specialists in Camden County.
Tip #1: Have them
understand why you need help. Oftentimes,
it’s not that your siblings don’t want to help, it’s more so a lack of
understanding about the situation at hand. Maybe your senior parent keeps
downplaying the type of help they need. Maybe you make it seem like you have it
all under control, when you’re really drowning. It’s important to be
straightforward with your siblings about your parent’s condition, and an easy
way to do this is to show them “the proof in the pudding.” For example, share
mom or dad’s current list of medications and how often they have to take them,
their upcoming doctor appointments, and what their daily routine looks like.
Tip #2: Have them
observe a typical day with mom or dad. As
mentioned above, seeing is believing. It’s one thing to tell someone how hard
of a time you’re having versus them actually seeing it with their own eyes.
Your siblings will understand the extent of help you need if they can observe
and take note of what a normal day of caregiving looks like. Do you have to
remind dad to take his morning pills? Does mom now require help manning the
stove and prepping meals? These are tasks your siblings should be aware of to
get a full grasp on how taxing full-time care could be on just one person.
Tip #3: Delegate tasks
to each sibling that make sense to them. It’s important to not only be
straightforward but also specific about what kind of help you need with your
senior parent. It could also be beneficial to everyone if you delegate tasks
according to your siblings’ skillsets. For example, if your sister is great at
doing hair and makeup, she can shoot over to mom’s in the mornings to help her
get dressed and ready for the day. Or if your brother is good with numbers, he
can balance your dad’s checkbook or make sure he’s set up for the week with the
right doses of medication. Before delegating responsibilities, be conscious of
what your siblings have going on as well. Maybe they work full-time and can
only be available on weekends. Or maybe their weekends are filled with
extracurricular activities for their children and they have some downtime on
weekdays.
Compassionate assisted
living for seniors in Collingswood
If you’ve tried the
methods above and have found no success, it’s important not to beat yourself up
about it. Caregiving is hard work, especially if you don’t have any support. If
your siblings can’t make it work with their schedules or aren’t cut out for the
type of work involved, it may be time to look into a better solution that
ensures your senior parents will receive the type of care they truly need and
deserve.
At our assisted
living community in Collingswood, associates are available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week to care for our senior residents and to engage with them through
fun events and daily activities. The initial transition to assisted living
takes some adjusting. However, we can tell you from experience that once mom or
dad settles in and sees all that community life has to offer, they will wonder
why they put up a fight in the first place!
To find out more about
our assisted living services for seniors in Collingswood, NJ, please contact us
today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/collingswood/
Original blog posted
on https://umcommunities.org/collingswood/blog/how-to-get-family-to-help-your-senior-parents/
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