Homecare Gastonia NC
Working with a sibling for any task can be a challenge, especially for those with a complicated history. On one hand, siblings can provide much needed support and help, taking some of the caregiving responsibilities off of your shoulders. Yet, on the other hand, it can be stressful, especially if both disagree on how their parent should be cared for.
Hiring a homecare provider may make it easier to offer your elderly parent the support they need without having to make the caregiving decisions with your siblings. However, if you and your family members decide to take on this role together, there are some simple techniques you can use to work in harmony for your loved one.
Know Your Responsibilities
As caregivers, you and your siblings will need to sit down and discuss what tasks each will be responsible for. If one lives closer to the elderly parent than the other, they may need to be the primary caregiver. The other sibling can help with the finances, setting up appointments, grocery shopping, and anything else their parent will be in need of. Coming to an agreement over what each person will do to help will prevent fights over caregiving responsibilities in the future.
Handling Sibling Disagreements
Your idea of caregiving may not be shared by your brother or sister, and that is ok. Knowing how to deal with these differences of opinion is what matters. Hostile feelings towards one another because of these disagreements could be mainly because of the mixed emotions felt by needing to care for their aging parent. Some ways to come to an agreement are:
- Give it some time to get everyone on the same page. The sibling may be frightened over the idea of losing their parent, or they may be overwhelmed with their new list of caregiving responsibilities. Whatever the reason, both of you will need to learn how to handle the situation together.
- All information from the doctor and other medical professionals should be shared between you and the sibling. This way, everyone will be aware of the senior’s current health in order to provide better care for them.
- Keep the lines of communication open. If the elder shares something with you about how they are doing, this information should be shared with your sibling.
Put Your Aging Parent First
No argument or fight with your sibling should get in the way of your caregiving responsibilities. Your loved one needs you now more than ever, so it is important to get along for their sake and learn how to work together.
Working with a sibling can be extremely difficult, but knowing how to communicate and negotiate with one another will make the caregiving job much easier.
Source: https://www.caregiver.org/caregiving-with-your-siblings
