How to Get Family to Help your Senior Parents
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/
