How to Get All the Help that You Need from Other Family Members
Elder Care in Robbinsville NJ
It’s tempting to believe that if your other family members aren’t helping your elderly loved one, they must not want to help. But what often happens is that other family members aren’t sure how to help or they don’t realize that you need some help.
Give as Much Detail as You Can When You Ask for Help
When you do talk to a family member about offering help, avoid going with generic requests. You need to become as specific as possible. The more details you can provide, the more help you’re likely to get. Let your family member know exactly what the task is, how long it might take, when it needs to be done, and any other pertinent details. If you can give advance notice, that’s even better for you and for your loved one.
Divide Responsibilities According to Strengths
If you have a family member who excels at running errands efficiently, it makes sense to ask for her help with that task. Other family members who are fantastic at researching, for example, might be able to help you with research you need done. Think about the strengths of the people you’re asking to help you and then play to those strengths for the best results.
Set Your Expectations Appropriately
When you do ask someone for help, try to let go of the expectation that you’ll be getting that help. Sometimes your other family members may have their own situations going on and they may not be able to pull themselves away from their lives to give you the help that you need. You have to be okay with that, even when it doesn’t feel good that you don’t have the support you want.
Look at All Sorts of Avenues for Help
Although it’s nice to have family members helping with your elderly loved one’s care, keep in mind that there are other avenues of assistance that can be just as helpful. Hiring elder care providers, asking friends for help, and working with community agencies for seniors are all excellent sources of the help that you really need.
Once family members understand what you really need, they’ll be in a better position to be able to offer substantial assistance.