Helping Siblings & Relatives

Family caregiving is a fact of life for many of our clients ... adult children or other loved ones of seniors, helping ensure their care from day-to-day. However, as much as the family members want to help, it can be difficult or even geographically impossible.

Because of my own experiences with my parents, I know firsthand the emotional attachments you can experience in caregiving. Sometimes, this can lead to spending hours being nonproductive and may lead to making a bad decision.

Here at OHCIH, LLC we have the experience and the skillset to see to it that your loved ones are cared for, properly. (We also provide virtual caregiving as an option.) We understand that communication is a must! Let us help give you peace of mind, knowing your loved one’s affairs are being handled with the same care and attention to detail as you would devote.

We provide total house clean outs. Please refer to Peggy’s Testimonial.

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When it comes to family caregiving, there are many things that can affect an older adult’s quality of care from family members, such as:

• Careers
• Family obligations
• Physical limitations
• Time
• Personal responsibilities
• Other life commitments

Siblings & family caregiving

As it is throughout life, siblings often have opinions that are different. This is even more pronounced when it comes to the care of an elderly parent. There are many common disagreements that happen when family caregiving passes to their adult children, such as:

• Differences in opinions about care.
• How much care is needed?
• How much time or money are contributed by each sibling?
• Where will parents live and how it will be paid for.
• Health and well-being decisions.

In nearly any family, there will be differing ideas and opinions. Not everyone can be right. Most people will agree that when a parent’s health is declining or their quality of life is suffering, the optimum choice is to do what is in their best interest. Sometimes we just don’t always see eye-to-eye on what “their best interest” is.

When to get help for family caregiving

Many times, having an outside and objective opinion about the care for a loved one can be very helpful. If your older adult loved one is still living at home, then they can provide a home safety assessment and bring options to the table that can help alleviate disagreements for their care. These professionals also can help provide input into what future caregiving needs will be and how to best handle those as a family.

In some cases, an older adult may really need to move from their existing home into some type of assisted living scenario. This does not necessarily mean an absence of individuality or independence. Merely, they may require assistance for some things and that need may grow over time.

Understand, that as the needs that people have increase, so does the toll they can have on the family. Having an outside person come in to provide professional guidance can often make choices easier, as well as relieve some of the burdens that are heavy on family caregiving participants.

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How to choose professional help

Siblings (and, other family or friends), most often want the same loving care for their family members. The issue lies in that, sometimes, their ideas or opinions differ.

To make sure that your loved one is getting the best assistance and care (and, that your family is getting the right professional input), make sure you choose a caregiving partner that is knowledgeable, experienced, and trained appropriately.
The truth is the network of care for your older loved one will be made up of various individuals, with different specialties and credentials. By investigating the wide range of certifications, licensing, and training available, you can ensure that the professional you are looking at to help you family has the proper credentials.

For instance, someone who is well-versed, trained and certified to help older adults transition into smaller homes or assisted living could be certified by the National Association of Specialty & Senior Move Managers (NASMM). (We are certified Senior Move Managers by NASMM.)

Interviewing professional help

When you’ve chosen a few professionals to help you with family caregiving, it is best to talk to them and decide which seems to be the best fit for your needs. Here are a few tips to help you with the interview process:

• List your questions out beforehand.
• Make sure to inform each of them of any special needs or specific situations that affect your loved one’s care.
• Do not be reluctant to ask to see certifications, licensing, and insurance.
• Do not make a commitment until your questions have been satisfied.

Get amazing care for your loved ones

At OHCIH, we pride ourselves on providing the best and most compassionate care. We also pride ourselves in knowing those that can support and meet all of your growing caregiving needs. Call us to speak with someone about your needs and how we can help. We are here to serve.

» Contact us today for a free consultation