Your siblings can be one of your greatest sources of support when your aging parent needs help. Yet sibling conflicts could arise when you all have different ideas about what it means to assist your loved one with daily activities. In some cases, one of you may feel like you’re doing all the work. At other times, you and your siblings may have vastly different opinions about where your loved one should live. These five strategies can help you get through these conflicts so your loved one has the best care possible from the entire family.
1. Agree Upon the Ultimate Goal
Sibling conflicts are easier to manage when you all remember you have the same goal in mind. When you sit down to talk to your siblings, begin with the reminder that each one of you wants your parent to be healthy and happy. Then take turns talking about what that means to each of you. One of you may feel a healthy diet is the priority, while another may think focusing on safety is important. Sharing these ideas gives you a starting point for working together as a team.
2. Defer to the Healthcare Professionals
There may be times when you disagree about the best way to help your parent manage his or her health. For example, one sibling may prefer a more natural approach, while the others might like to see your parent receive more medical intervention for chronic health conditions. If your loved one is currently on a treatment plan, agreeing to follow the advice of his or her primary physician can prevent arguments about how to manage his or her healthcare.
Family members can easily become overwhelmed by their caregiving duties, and a professional home caregiver can be a wonderful addition to your caregiving team. One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide home care services. Turn to Home Care Assistance for reliable, high-quality in-home care for aging adults. We offer 24-hour live-in care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties.
3. Outline Each Person’s Strengths and Responsibilities
You can also help each person identify what he or she does best with regard to caring for your loved one. Ask your siblings what they do well, and be prepared to share some insights about positive things you notice. For instance, your sister might be great at helping with finances, while you may enjoy doing activities with your loved one. Once you identify each person’s strengths, you can then begin assigning responsibilities together.
4. Bring in Outside Help
Some of your conflicts might arise from having busy schedules that make it challenging for all of you to manage everything. This is normal for families whose members are raising children, working, and handling other life events. Consider arranging for professional assistance that can help you round out your parent’s care plan. Hiring an in-home caregiver is a great strategy for managing scheduling conflicts that can sometimes leave one of you shouldering most of the burden of care.
There are a variety of reasons family caregivers should consider respite care. Clearwater, FL, families often have additional responsibilities that make it more challenging to provide the care their senior loved ones need and deserve. A professional respite caregiver can take over your important caregiving duties, allowing you more time to focus on yourself.
5. Keep All Your Plans Flexible
A strong care plan can reduce conflicts, but you should all try to remember things change rapidly regarding what a senior needs. Talk about how you’ll handle changes to your loved one’s care plan in the future. Whether you hold a family meeting or one of you makes decisions as the primary caregiver, it helps to remember flexibility is important for continuing to give your loved one what he or she needs.
Many conflicts over caregiving responsibilities can be resolved by hiring a professional caregiver for your loved one. Although it may be challenging to find reliable, highly rated home Care, Clearwater families can turn to Home Care Assistance. Our respite and live-in caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with a wide array of important tasks, including cooking, bathing, light housekeeping, and exercise. If you need compassionate, professional home care for your loved one, call one of our friendly Care Managers today at (727) 330-7862.