As a caregiver, how can I get my family to help?
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UnitedHealthcare answered:As the primary caregiver, put together a calendar and list tasks that you would like help with. Ask family members to commit to specific tasks on specific dates. This can be done at a family meeting or through on-line services such as Lotsa Helping Hands or Many Strong. Most importantly, give your support system time to work. It can be challenging to accept change, so open communication and organization should help.As the primary caregiver, put together a calendar and list tasks that you would like help with. Ask family members to commit to specific tasks on specific dates. This can be done at a family meeting or through on-line services such as Lotsa... More -
Providing care for a family member with a disorder is emotional in and of itself. Each family member has a long history with the family, and likely carries conflicting expectations of what each family member should do with regard to caregiving. There is also often anger at things that have happened in the past, which may interfere with family members' willingness to help share the caregiving tasks.
Holding family meetings is important in discussing and understanding everyone's perspective and availability to help in the care. Research has shown that family meetings can reduce depressive symptoms in caregivers and result in postponement of institutionalization.
Providing care for a family member with a disorder is emotional in and of itself. Each family member has a long history with the family, and likely carries conflicting expectations of what each family member should do with regard to... More -
Dr. Goldina Erowele answered:Effective communication, early planning and proactive collaboration. Before hiring a professional, consider calling a family meeting. Speak to each family member involved to access their personal and mental readiness to provide care. Next call a family meeting. Nothing formal, make it a family gathering, dinner perhaps. Have an agenda and a plan of action. No meeting ever goes well when everyone is agitated, confrontational. Ask for everyone's input, present facts from doctors or healthcare providers. Ask what everyone is willing to do and what they have time to do. Someone needs to take the lead, make a schedule, eager everyone. Using free tools like free telephone conferencing services for those long distance family members will help. Don't forget to use free resources such as
- BenefitsCheckUp is free service of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), a nonprofit service and advocacy organization in Washington, DC. There are over 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs available to help. But many people don’t know these programs exist or how they can apply. http://www.ncoa.org/ http://www.benefitscheckup.org/about-us/
- The ARCH National Respite Network includes the National Respite Locator, a service to help caregivers and professionals locate respite services in their community, which is funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA) in the US Department of Health and Human Services. http://archrespite.org/respitelocator
- The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), established in 2000, provides grants to States and Territories, based on their share of the population aged 70 and over, to fund a range of supports that assist family and informal caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aoa_programs/hcltc/caregiver/index.aspx
Effective communication, early planning and proactive collaboration. Before hiring a professional, consider calling a family meeting. Speak to each family member involved to access their personal and mental readiness to provide care. Next call a... More
