When siblings care for aging parents, open communication is key.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work, and that’s undeniably true when siblings care for aging parents. If you and your siblings interact with each other seamlessly to meet the needs of the senior members of the family, kudos! In many instances, however, one individual shoulders most of the responsibilities. This could quickly lead to hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and conflict.
The following easy steps will allow you to more fairly distribute caregiving obligations with your siblings.
- Call a family meeting. It is important to make sure you and your siblings are all on the same page. Sincere, open communication is crucial to sharing your outlook and hearing theirs. Truthfully explain that you are feeling stressed with carrying the lion’s share of caregiving responsibilities, and that you’d like more help.
- Create an inventory. Be specific about all the responsibilities that go into your role as the primary caregiver. Figure out who is best equipped to provide support in each area based upon time or distance constraints. Even if one of your siblings is located out of the local area, there are many ways to assist remotely, such as researching services and resources, setting aside scheduled time for FaceTiming, paying bills online, etc. In-person tasks can include:
- Making meals
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Lawn care
- Grocery shopping and other errands
- Pet care
- Transportation to doctors’ visits, the beauty salon, weekly religious services, etc.
- Document details. When you have decided upon a reasonable division of tasks, document your decisions and give a copy to each person. Note all other important topics that came about in your discussion which can be revisited during a subsequent meeting. Be sure to think through future planning needs as well. If one of your parents is in the early stages of dementia, for example, you will want to be prepared for evolving care needs as the disease advances.
Despite having the help of your brothers and sisters, taking care of older parents is challenging, particularly when juggling your own career, household, family, etc. One good way to guarantee a healthy life balance for you as well as your siblings is by working with Home With You Senior Care’s Manchester area caregivers.
Our top-rated care providers are fully trained and experienced in all of the care tasks listed above and a whole lot more. We’re here to work alongside your family to fill in the gaps in care – whether just for a couple of hours each week or up to and including around-the-clock care. This enables you and your siblings to choose the care tasks you want to take on yourselves, and then leave the remainder to us.
When it comes to siblings caring for aging parents, the ability to work together for the best care solutions is key. Provide your parents with the best possible care, while guaranteeing you and your siblings have plenty of time for self-care. Get in touch with Home With You Senior Care at 410-756-0959 for a free assessment and to learn more about the ways we can help.