Elderly Care Memphis TN

If you have siblings you might have thought that your role as a family caregiver would be easier. You may have felt that your siblings would all come together to ensure that your elderly loved one gets all of the care, support, and assistance that they need for their individual needs, and that your challenge would be far less than a care provider who does not have siblings. This, however, is not always the case. You might find that your siblings are a source of great conflict for you, criticizing how you choose to care for your parent. This can be a very stressful situation for you, and handling it properly is essential to getting through the situation as smoothly as possible while also ensuring that your parent continues to receive the care that they need.

Use these tips for handling critical siblings in your care journey:

• Address them directly. You might hear that your siblings are being critical of you from others. Resist the urge to then criticize your sibling in return. Instead, contact your sibling and address them directly. Talk to them about what they are thinking and feeling so that you can hear it from them rather than what another person interprets. This will give you the opportunity to hear their concerns and direct them in the most effective way.

• Be careful with your parent’s involvement. Your parent deserves to know about conflicts that are happening and to be involved. This does not mean, however, that they should be “stuck in the middle”. Do not criticize or insult your sibling to your parent. Instead, have a meeting that involves your sibling and your parent so that you can all discuss the issues and how to resolve them effectively.

• Allow them to shadow you. It is easy for your sibling to be critical of your care efforts if they do not know what you go through on a daily basis. Invite them to care for your parent for a few days while you take respite or to come with you and shadow you so that they can see what you handle. They might have a different perception once they have experienced this.

Managing critical family members can be one of the most stressful and frustrating aspects of being a family caregiver. When you are dealing with this, starting elderly care can be a tremendous source of relief. An elderly home care services provider can step in to provide a personalized level of care, support, and encouragement tailored to their needs so that you can step back and manage the conflict with your siblings. This may also be a desirable solution for your siblings so that they can feel confident that your parent is getting the level of care that they feel your parent deserves. This can also be a fantastic way to encourage your sibling to be involved even if they are not able to be physically involved in the care. Through helping you to select a care provider and then assisting with paying for it, your sibling can feel more at ease and you can rid yourself of the stress and difficulty of the conflict.

For Elderly Care Services in Memphis TN, please contact the caring staff at Personal Care Services MidSouth today!