Family Matters – How to Take Care of Your Parents When Your Kids Still Need You

It can be challenging juggling all that life brings.

From settling the children at university to helping them find their first job or home. Supporting parents who are starting to need more help getting to the doctors or hospital, doing your parent’s weekly food shop or going to the local community event.

It can be a struggle to fit it all in on top of an already busy home and work life, but there are solutions. Unfortunately, home care providers can’t help get your son or daughter into University (we wish!) but they can help support your parents…

Spend Quality Time with Loved Ones

Quality home care providers will see it as their role to take some of the responsibility from you so that you can focus on spending quality time with your loved ones rather than dealing with their care needs. Home Care providers will make the process as easy as possible for you, it will usually start with an initial conversation on the phone or over a coffee. This conversation is really to start to understand your parent’s needs, so don’t worry you don’t need to have all of the answers!

Arrange a Family Meeting for a Chat

The other thing they will also support you with is the best way to have the conversation with your parents. Whilst these conversations might be tricky, they are worth it as good care can really benefit the whole family. You will likely find that your parents would prefer to stay in their own home. So focusing on home care as a means for your loved one to stay independent, either by receiving care in their own home or by being supported to get out and about in the community usually makes these conversations a lot easier.

Again don’t worry your home care provider will help you.

Family Support Network

Determine the family support network that you have in place, whilst family members will not always be in agreement about the care arrangements. In our experience, we find that families do resolve disagreements and pull together in support of their loved one. If you decide to be the primary caregiver to your parents then make sure that you also look after yourself. You will not be able to give your parents the best support if you never take a break, agree with other family members support they can help provide you. It could be as simple as giving you a call each day to provide moral support or spending an evening per week with your parents so that you can try to relax.

Top Tip: Involve a Home Care Agency Early

When you start to see a need for your parents, for example, help with the weekly food shop or doing small chores around the house – that is the right time to involve help. That way they can start to see care as something that helps add value and enriches their lives and you have a professional on hand to support you and them should they need additional support further down the line.

Find Out Your Parents Needs and Wishes

Once you decide to pursue the home care solution then a care manager will come and visit you parents and assess their needs. Quality providers will make sure that the plan they put in place meets the needs. You should never be made to feel that you are being oversold care or being pushed into making a decision. The provider should let you dictate the pace and you should only start home care when you and your loved ones are ready.

Sharing is Caring – Stay Informed of Progress

Finally, ongoing communication with the home care provider is key. Try to understand how often they will be in touch with you. Some providers have the ability to share, with your parent’s consent, care records with you on a real time basis through a mobile app. This can be an excellent way for you to check on your parents when you are on the go and make sure that they are being cared for in the way you would expect.

Jennie and Lisa were inspired to launch Radfield Home Care Havering & Brentwood after seeing the many benefits experienced by their Nan from receiving care at home.

Please contact Jennie or Lisa to discuss ways in which we could help you or your loved ones on 01708 609 364 or email [email protected].