Building a Family Consensus When Your Loved One Needs a Professional Caregiver
Have a productive conversation with your family about in-home care options for your senior parent or relative in McKinney, Allen, Plano or Frisco, TX with these tips
You noticed Mom or Dad’s health is slowly deteriorating and came to the conclusion they need more help with daily routines. After much thought, you decided that it would be best for them if the family made arrangements to find a suitable caregiver in McKinney, TX to help them maintain their accustomed quality of life. However, you received pushback from another family member, maybe a sibling. They may think the family should take care of the matter internally or that it would be a waste of funds.
This shouldn’t come as surprise. When there is a family crisis with an aging parent, the adult children often have opposed opinions on the course of action the family should take. If you have this problem, the following advice can help you build a family consensus and come to a unified decision regarding Mom or Dad’s well-being.
Keep the Conversation about the Parent
When you start the conversation about whether or not your loved one should get a professional caregiver, try not to get off topic by retelling family anecdotes. This can only be counterproductive and get you farther from agreeing on what the family should do. If the conversation shifts from care options to who was Mom or Dad’s favorite, immediately steer the conversation back to care and make sure to remind everyone that the dialog should be strictly focused on resolving the matter at hand.
Keep a Journal of Mom or Dad’s Condition
Keeping a journal on your loved one’s arising care needs can come in handy when the family gathers to discuss caregiver options for Mom or Dad. Siblings and family members who live far away are often unaware of the true extent of the problems their loved one is facing on a daily basis while those who live nearer have a better insight. A well-documented journal can help everyone look at the problem from the same position.
Avoid One-On-Ones with the Parent
When it comes to building a family consensus, it is very important that siblings stick together and share a unified position on what would be best for their parent. Having one-on-one conversations with the parent about care options can only spark feelings of distrust, skepticism, and even alienation. For this reason, it would be best if you discuss the caregiver topic only when everyone is present.
It is not unusual that members of the family disagree over an important matter such as this. But you all need to work together and come to a joint decision. To get everyone in the family on the same page, try to speak openly and keep the conversation objective at all times, keep records of your parent’s activities and condition, and do some of your own research on what would paying for home care services look like. This way, you can ensure a productive conversation that will end in mutual agreement on what is best for your loved one.
If you’re ready to hire a professional caregiver for your loved one, contact our McKinney, TX office today.