Caring for an aging loved one generally requires help from siblings, close friends, and other family members. To develop a suitable care plan, your family should host regular meetings and develop strategies to make life less challenging for you all as caregivers. Below are tips you can use when holding a family meeting about your senior loved one’s care.
1. Encourage Everyone to Attend
Even if you handle most of the caregiving responsibilities, it’s best to encourage all of your siblings to attend meetings. If you fail to include a sibling or close family member who assists your parent, it could cause animosity and lead to an unpleasant environment in your parent’s home, which is bad for your loved one’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Although it’s necessary to encourage all family caregivers to attend, don’t try to force anyone to join the meeting. Some siblings may agree to help but choose not to get involved in decision-making and planning. In these instances, you can leave them off the group invitation list.
If family members aren’t able to help you care for your parent, consider hiring a professional home caregiver. Elderly home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
2. Offer Flexibility
Daily, weekly, and monthly schedules for caregivers change, which is why your family meeting times will need to change frequently. When scheduling discussions, find out the best times for all attendees, and try to choose days when everyone is available. Schedule the meetings a few weeks in advance, allowing you to determine whose work or personal schedule has changed and giving you time to take a vote on the best times. People should also have options to attend meetings in various ways, such as via a conference call or video chat. Incorporating these choices gives family members more flexibility and could increase their willingness to attend.
3. Stay Respectful
Everyone’s opinion is valuable, even if you disagree with their statements and suggestions. Therefore, you should remain respectful when hosting the meetings. Creating an open and supportive space can encourage family members to attend the conferences and offer tips or opinions regarding your loved one’s care. When you disagree, stay calm, explain your reasoning, and remain open to compromise. The more respect family members maintain, the more productive the meetings are likely to be.
4. Ask Medical Providers to Attend
Explaining your loved one’s medical condition could be challenging, especially if you lack a complete understanding of the situation. If this is the case, ask your loved one’s medical provider to attend the meeting and give your family the information they need regarding an at-home care plan, surgical procedures, medication changes, and other pertinent information. Having a doctor, nurse, therapist, or specialist attend family meetings could prevent bias and keep caregivers from making uninformed decisions.
One of the decisions your family may need to make is whether to hire a home caregiver for your loved one. Whether you need respite from your caregiving duties or your aging loved one needs live-in care, Barrie, ON, Home Care Assistance can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated caregivers are available around the clock to provide transportation to doctor’s appointments, ensure seniors take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.
5. Have Some Fun
Family meetings don’t need to be held inside the home or focus only on traditional questions and answers. Host fun outings in public spaces or turn meetings into dinner and game nights at your loved one’s home. This could make the discussion more relaxed and enjoyable. While the objective is to make decisions about your parent’s care, it’s okay to make the family meeting fun.
Managing an aging adult’s care alongside other important responsibilities can be overwhelming, but help is available. The type of senior home care Barrie, ON, seniors need can vary. Some need assistance a few hours a day, while others require more extensive around-the-clock assistance. At Home Care Assistance, we tailor our care plans based on each senior’s individual care needs, and the plans can be adjusted at any time. To create a customized in-home care plan for your loved one, call us at 647-970-3803.