Tips for Talking to Your Siblings About Helping You with Family Caregiving Responsibilities

Tips for Talking to Your Siblings About Helping You with Family Caregiving Responsibilities

 May 11, 2018

Home Care Services in Fox Chapel PA: Tips For Talking To Siblings About Caregiving Responsibilities

You might think that if you have siblings, you automatically will have help when it comes to taking care of an elderly adult. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Often one sibling is left with the vast majority of the responsibility of caring for the aging parent and can begin to feel bitter and resentful towards their siblings.

Even if you have not developed these feelings, it is likely you were feeling overwhelmed, and know both you and your aging parent would benefit from having more help. Taking the step to approach your siblings and talk about this need can be the first step toward reducing your stress and enhancing your parent’s lifestyle as they age in place.

 

Use these tips to help you talk to your siblings about helping you with family caregiving responsibilities:

 

    • Be honest with them about the challenges that your parent is facing. You may feel like these difficulties are obvious, or that your siblings should automatically know about them, but this often isn’t the case. They cannot know all your parent is dealing with unless you tell them. Being honest about these challenges can help to illustrate the level of care your parent needs, and how much you would benefit from help.

 

    • Be honest about your need for help. Your siblings may assume you don’t feel you need help, or that you may not want help. If you’ve never mentioned the need for help, or always strive to make the care you give look easy, they may assume you have no need, or even that they would get in the way.

 

    • Ask them for their opinion about the type of care your parent should receive. Getting their input about issues such as elderly care, and the benefits they can receive from such care, can give them a sense of involvement, and also help you to feel more confident about the decisions you make.

 

  • Emphasize the value of their involvement to your parent. Make sure they understand that even if your parent does not have extensive care needs, knowing all of their children are involved in this care, and having the opportunity to interact with and see all of their children, can be exceptionally important and meaningful to your loved one, and their quality of life.

 

If your aging parent has been dealing with new challenges and limitations, your ability to care for them has changed and you no longer feel as though you are fulfilling their needs effectively, or you simply believe they would benefit from more diversified care, now may be the ideal time to consider starting elderly care for them.

With elderly care, your aging parent will have customized access to the care, support, and assistance that they need, on the schedule that is right for them. Through these services, the elderly home care services provider can help your parent to stay happy, healthy, safe, and independent, while also pursuing a lifestyle that is active and fulfilling. Personalized services can include transportation, meal preparation, assistance with housekeeping tasks, support for personal care needs such as bathing and grooming, companionship, medication reminders, and more.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care Services in Fox Chapel, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202