How to Assemble a Support Network for a Senior Loved One
Ageing adults do best when they have a strong network of support in place to help with their needs. Now that your senior loved one needs assistance at home, you have many options available to keep him or her physically and emotionally strong. You can start putting together a support team for your parent today by working your way through these steps.
Perform a Needs Assessment
Your first step is to figure out what types of support are needed. While you may know of a few obvious things based on your loved one’s health, there may be other needs you don’t know about. For example, your loved one may not share that he or she is experiencing incontinence or is worried about falling. Go over your loved one’s daily routine, and inspect the house to identify all of his or her needs.
Discuss Your Parent’s Preferences
Your loved one should have the opportunity to share input on any decisions regarding his or her care. Once you identify your loved one’s needs, ask how he or she would like to see them met. For instance, your parent may welcome the idea of having a family member call each day to see what he or she needs. Your loved one may also prefer to have a professional handle tasks he or she feels would burden family and friends.
Ageing adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable senior home care. Sydney, NSW, families trust Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our care workers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age.
Consider Time Constraints
People often want to help but don’t have the time, which can lead to problems if a family member suddenly backs out of his or her responsibilities. You should also avoid the mistake of trying to do more than you can comfortably accomplish in one day. Think about each member of the support team to make sure everyone can realistically manage their duties. If not, add a few more people to the network. Ideally, no one should be doing so much that he or she gets burned out.
Caring for a senior loved one can be rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming for family carers who have other responsibilities they need to focus on. For these families, the perfect solution is respite care. Sydney families rely on our care workers whenever they need time to rest, work, run errands, and even go on vacation.
Find Out Who Is Available to Help
Now that you have a list of people, it’s time to get to work asking each one what he or she is willing to do. As you make your requests, try to have specific tasks each person can do and allow the person to decide if it’s something he or she is capable of handling. Remember, it’s okay if someone turns down your request. It doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t care. It simply means he or she may be overextended already. Honesty allows you to move forward by asking someone else.
Aim for Consistency with Professional Care Workers
A professional care worker can round out a support team by making sure your loved one receives consistent care. When a regular care worker stops by often, your loved one gets to develop a relationship that helps everyone work together better. Your loved one’s professional carer is also the person to go to when you need a break or have a duty no one else can manage.
One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide home care. Sydney families can turn to Home Care Assistance for reliable, high-quality in-home care for ageing adults. We offer 24-hour live-in care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family carers who need a break from their caring duties. Reach out to us at Home Care Assistance if you need compassionate, professional care for your loved one. Call one of our dedicated Care Managers today at [hca_phone] to learn about the high quality of our in-home aged care services.
