As parents age it becomes apparent that the kids may have to step in and make decisions about their care. When a big family is involved, this can often lead to sibling rivalry and unnecessary feuding.
Families are often torn apart through disagreements about care, financial arrangements, living arrangements, meals and even deciding who is “in charge”. Below are some tips on how to manage senior care when it become evident that the family has disputing opinions and can not seem to make things work.
Senior Care Tips for Squabbling Siblings:
- Talk to each other. The only way to sort things out and get on the same page is to talk.
- Listen to each other. This is even better than doing the talking. Sometimes one sibling does most of the talking, while the others sit back. If you are the talker of the family, take time to listen as well.
- Focus on feelings. This includes your parents feelings! It is all about them at this point and they would want you to get along as best you can without hurting each others feelings. Get their input if possible on their wishes.
- Discuss everything. Make lists. In the heat of arguments things can be forgotten. Assign one sibling to keep track of the “to-do’s”. If you have a big family, maybe these to-do’s can be split up. Try your best to agree and compromise, volatile fighting about every little thing won’t help at all.
- Remember why you are all together in the first place – your parents! They need your help at this stage of their lives and probably can’t easily ask for it without feeling depressed or anxious. As siblings, lean on each other to help your parents.
- Ensure that your parents have a legal will and power of attorney. This can alleviate a lot of the decision making problems right off the bat.
If you need support with Senior Care, feel free to reach out to us! We are here to help!
