Aging parents and relationships can be highly complicated. The intricate situation can further be aggravated when the topic of moving an aging parent to senior apartments is added on. The whole family can experience resentment, burnout, and others which will just make them drift apart. However, it does not necessarily have to be this way. Here are several tips to have a good conversation with your siblings when considering moving an aging parent to senior apartments.
Arrange a Sibling Meeting
When you are concerned about your aging parents’ care or needs, it can be really helpful to arrange a sibling meeting so as to get everyone’s input. This is highly essential as you may have your own opinions about things and your siblings may have theirs which may be of opposing views. Some of your siblings may not even be aware of the current condition of your parent’s health and wellbeing. Hence, get your siblings together and have an open discussion to keep everyone in the loop.
Gather the Details
When talking about your aging parent’s care and needs, gather all the necessary details so everyone knows what needs to be done. Prioritize the things that help every sibling get an idea of the situation. For instance, if your parents are experiencing symptoms of memory loss, they need to be given specialized care to enable them to experience an improved quality of life. If they have just been discharged from the hospital, they need round-the-clock care for their personal and medical needs. Discuss the current care system in place for your parents and what it is lacking of. Ask questions like:
- Who will prepare meals for your parents?
- Who will accompany them to their doctor’s appointments?
- Who will help manage their finances?
- Who will help them run errands?
- Who will clean their house and manage other maintenance work?
- Who will provide emotional support?
Delegate the Tasks
After the list of tasks has been drawn up, each sibling can suggest or volunteer who is the most ideal child to take on a particular task. This part can involve a lot of pressure and even disagreement. However, it needs to be done so every sibling knows exactly what an ideal care system for your parents looks like. Those living within close proximity to your parents will most likely have to handle most of the tasks.
Consider One Another’s Capabilities and Limitations
Consider what each sibling is good at and what they may not have any background with. Some may be good at managing finances, some are good at cooking, some own a car to drive your parents to their errands, and so on and so forth.
Moving Aging Parent to Senior Apartments
At the end of the discussion, you can chime in and give your input about moving your aging parent to a senior apartment. Share the many benefits that your parent will get to enjoy which include having their medical and personal needs well taken care of. All the tasks that you have drawn up earlier on in your list will all be addressed by senior living professionals.
