Siblings share a special bond that’s beneficial for finding ways to care for a senior parent. However, it’s common for one sibling to discover he or she is doing the bulk of the caregiving. When you feel like your siblings aren’t helping enough, use these five tips to get the support you need without making anyone feel guilty.
1. Create a List of What You Do Every Day
Most likely, your loved one’s care needs have changed since you first started helping out. For instance, you may have simply begun by preparing a meal or two each week, and now you also do the grocery shopping and cleanup. If this is the case, your siblings may have no idea what a day is like for you. Sit down and create a list of everything you do each day, and remember to include details such as sweeping and doing laundry. This way, you can give everyone an accurate picture of how much help you need.
It can be overwhelming to care for an older parent all alone. Family caregivers sometimes need a break from their caregiving responsibilities. When they need respite care, Edmonton families can rely on professional caregivers to help their senior loved ones remain safe at home.
2. Call a Family Meeting
If possible, you and your siblings should all sit down together to discuss your parent’s care, even if it means a conference call with long-distance family members. Try to plan the meeting for a time when everyone is relaxed, such as on the weekend rather than immediately after work. You should also try to involve your parent in the meeting or ask for his or her input before you get together.
3. Tap into Your Siblings’ Strengths
The best way to recruit help is to focus on what each person does well. For instance, your sister may be a whiz with finances, while your brother is great at planning social outings. Before the meeting, think about what you believe each of your siblings brings to the table so you can make concrete suggestions for assistance based on their strengths.
Even with the help of your siblings, you may sometimes require the assistance of an expert caregiver. Caring for senior loved ones can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care.
4. Make Requests for Specific Types of Help
Your siblings may think you have your parent’s care all under control. They may also want to help but have no idea where to start. Using your siblings’ strengths, narrow down your parent’s needs to specific areas in which they can help. For instance, you could ask one sibling to take care of your parent’s landscaping needs and have another one drop by with groceries once a week.
5. Consider Bringing in Professional Assistance
While approaching your siblings with respect and specific requests for assistance should help, you must be prepared for them to say no. Typically, this happens when people simply have too much on their plates already, and this doesn’t mean your siblings don’t care. They may just be overwhelmed with busy schedules, or they could be apprehensive about taking on certain responsibilities, such as incontinence care. When this happens, talk to your siblings about bringing in a professional caregiver.
Families who need help caring for senior loved ones can turn to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of Edmonton home care service. Services available in our customizable care plans include meal prep, mental and social stimulation, assistance with personal hygiene tasks, and much more. To learn about our quality-assured services, give us a call at (780) 490-7337 today.