Often, siblings will have differing opinions with regards to their aging parent’s care. Disagreements can vary from the type of care needed, financial contributions, or how much effort each sibling is putting in. Each person will think they are right and know what’s best for their parents, but not everyone is always right. Whichever decision is made, it doesn’t mean conflicts should arise. The certainty is that seeing your parent’s health decline can be painful so here are some issues and tips to discuss your parent’s care needs with your siblings.
Get an Expert Assessment
Having an added external opinion can help ameliorate issues. Try to arrange for a therapist or for a geriatric care manager to conduct a safety assessment in your loved one’s home. You should also consult with your loved one’s primary doctor about any recent developing physical concerns and deterioration.
The expert assessments from certified professionals can help define the future action and prevent arguments with your family members.
Caregivers Should Communicate with One Another
Typically, it may not seem clear how challenging providing caregiving to the elderly can be. Most of the time, the role of a primary caregiver falls on the children as it’s simply unavoidable as a result of family dynamics.
Siblings that live long distances away or have never had a close relationship with their parents may not be able to provide physical support. However, they can still help with various things like emotional support, meals, finances, and appointment scheduling.
Consider a Mediator
Sometimes, the only way to resolve a feuding conflict among siblings is to engage a neutral third party. Representatives from the National Family Caregiver Support Program, doctors, geriatric care managers, and counselors can all act as mediators.
During the family meeting, discussions should be open and frank about your parent’s healthcare needs. Any future plans, obligations, and roles of each sibling should be established and made clear to avoid future conflicts.
Try to Understand Everyone’s Views
If you think your efforts are not made aware enough to your siblings, attempt to schedule meetings or ask for a doctor’s testimony to explain the situation. Should your siblings refuse to help because of an existing problem or from past trauma, see if they’re okay with helping the finances or with emotional support? Ultimately, it’s their right to choose if they want to interact with their elderly parents.
Research Senior Care Options
The next step is deciding the main care provider once the care needs are established. If your family has decided on a retirement community for your parent being the right solution, do consider our senior living options at Discovery Village At Stuart. We provide highly personalized and attentive assisted living as well as memory care for our residents living with memory-related problems like dementia. Our well-trained team members will do their utmost to help residents to live a comfortable and satisfying life after retirement.
Contact us today to find out how we provide professional care for our residents or enquire more about our senior living options.
