Aging Parents - Family Survival Guide for Sibling Carers

The challenges of caring for elderly parents can be a difficult enough task on its own. When the carers are adult children and multiple sibling carers are involved, it can be even more daunting. Maybe siblings won't help with elderly parents because they worry about being left with all of the responsibilities. With more elderly wanting to avoid nursing homes and age in place, sharing carer responsibilities has become more common.

So how can siblings work together to provide home care in a way that takes everyone's commitments and time restraints into consideration while keeping aging parents safe? Our survival guide on working together as a family of caregivers will tell you everything you need to know.

Schedule a Family Meeting

Even if it's just a phone call or video call, get together at a time that works for everyone involved. Decide if there should be a primary caregiver - A primary caregiver will have the most involvement in your parents' care. If you can't agree on which sibling is best suited for this role, discuss how family dynamics will function around carer tasks.

Keep Documents Available

Create a file cabinet or folder where you can keep all relevant documents together if your sibling carers need them. These documents may include insurance policies, wills, power of attorney, etc. Being prepared ahead of time will ease the burden during a crisis.

Establish Clear Guidelines About Financial Decisions

It is essential to know which sibling carers will be financial carers. These carers will be responsible for costs such as medical equipment, additional care services, and other financial needs related to your parent's care.

Know What Resources are Available to You

Make sure all of your sibling carers know what resources are available to them. These resources may include home monitoring technology and financial aid programs such as Medicaid or Veteran's Affairs benefits (if applicable). This way, if someone needs help paying for caregiving expenses, they know where they can get that support.

Consider Everyone's Opinion

Find out what each family member thinks should be done to help your parent. Siblings won't help with aging parents if they feel like they aren't being heard. So, it's important to make sure everyone understands that they all need to agree on a plan of action. 

Work Together

Create a schedule that outlines who will be responsible for what and when. A schedule is especially important if you live far away from your parents or have a busy work schedule.

Set Rules and Boundaries

It's important to set ground rules with your sibling carers so that everyone understands what is and isn't acceptable. This can include respecting each other's time and space and agreeing not to criticize one another's decisions.

Create a Plan of Care

Have a printable daily care plan for you and your caregiver siblings. This plan will allow everyone to monitor, track, and record health issues.

Keep Communication Open

Make sure to communicate with each other regularly about both the good and bad aspects of caregiving. Don't be afraid to talk openly about your feelings and concerns. This will help build trust and keep everyone updated on your parents' condition changes.

Take Breaks

If possible, try to occasionally take breaks from caregiving duties. This will give you and your sibling carers time to relax, recharge and avoid burnout. Having a break will also make everyone better equipped to handle anything that comes their way.

Utilize Monitoring Solutions

Once you establish consistent communication between sibling carers, you can explore elderly monitoring solutions. These solutions will help keep your loved ones safe and healthy.
 
Monitoring solutions for your elderly parents' care can help make sharing carer responsibilities a little bit easier. Choose a care monitoring kit that includes features like a wearable alert button and camera monitoring, that make monitoring for falls and emergencies convenient.

Sharing responsibilities as sibling carers can be a complicated and emotionally charged process, but it doesn't have to be. It's vital that everyone follows through with their assigned duties to avoid any hard feelings. Ensure all sibling carers know what is expected of them and when they will provide their part of your aging parents' care. This way, your siblings can work together to care for your parents and allow them to age at home happily.

MOBI offers a variety of affordable senior monitoring solutions that help make caregiving easier. Our Caregiver Support Monitoring Kit includes a wearable alert monitoring device and a Wi-Fi Monitoring camera with 2-way audio communication.

 

All MOBI products work together through the MOBI Smart App, allowing families to stay in touch anywhere they are in the world.

Check out more solutions to in-home monitoring with MOBI's sensors, camera monitoring, video doorbell, and more. All MOBI products can be integrated through the MOBI smart app and grow with your family. 

 

Reach out to us today on Facebook or email us at service@getmobi.com. We are happy to answer any questions you have on how home and health monitoring can assist you in your day to day life.