If you are taking care of an aging parent or believe that you will be doing so in the future, you are a caregiver. Family caregivers should have caregiving plans in place. At Elder Care Direction, we can help you to create a plan that will work well for you and for your loved one. Here are seven steps that you can take to create your own plan.
1. Prepare your family and yourself
You should think about several things when you prepare to begin caring for your elderly loved one. Ask yourself the following questions, and answer them honestly:
- Will you be able to manage the time commitment that you will have?
- Will you be able to use your own finances to manage?
- Can you take care of your loved one’s personal care tasks by yourself, or will you need professional help?
- Do you have a support system in place?
2. Assess the needs of your elderly loved one
You need to assess what your loved one will need when you start caring for him or her. These questions might help you to organize your thoughts:
- What type of care does your loved one need?
- Will you provide his or her care?
- When will the care be needed and for how long?
- Do you need help from a professional?
- Do you have training so that you can support the needs of your loved one?
3. Open communication
It is important for you to keep the communication channels open between you, your loved one, and your family. You may need to address some difficult topics, including discussions about finances, whether others are needed for caregiving, changes in wellness and health, mobility limitations, the need to transition to a higher level of care, and others. These discussions should start with your elderly loved one. The dialogue should then expand to include all of your family members.
4. Create a caregiving team
Creating a caregiving team that is focused on providing the best possible care for your loved one is important. You need to have others who can help you so that you can take breaks and time for yourself.
5. Create your plan
After you have established your team and your support network, you will then want to start writing your caregiving plan. Your plan should take into account all of the stakeholders as well as the needs of your loved one.
6. Implement the plan
After you have created your plan, begin working on it. Check in regularly with your team and your loved one. Make adjustments to your plan based on daily changes and new information.
7. Get help from Elder Care Direction
Becoming a caregiver for an elderly loved one can be difficult. Having a plan in place and a caregiving team can help you to handle all of the different tasks that will be required. To learn more, contact Elder Care Direction today to schedule a consultation.