By Jeanne Hoban
Caregiving for an older adult can be overwhelming. There are a lot of decisions to make and services to navigate – and it’s difficult to know where to start.
If you enter caregiving armed with a solid plan, while there may detours along the way, you can navigate the challenges more easily and with less stress.
Plan Ahead
It’s never too early to start developing a plan for future care needs. You don’t want to wait until an emergency situation arises to begin making what could be life-and-death decisions. And you want to make sure that the care plan honors your loved one’s values and preferences. If your loved one was incapacitated in an emergency and you needed to make decisions for them, do you know what they would want? Do you know who they would want to help?
Researchers at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging identified five core values for care that most people find important: independence, safety, not being a burden, activities with family or friends, and having a say in who helps out. Have discussions with your older adult loved ones to find out what is most important to them. It’s not always easy to have those conversations, but it is important for understanding your loved ones’ preferences and values. It also helps take some of the burden off of you and gives you permission to ask for help later – something caregivers often struggle to do.
Focus on Manageable Tasks
If you are the person providing the most care for your older loved one, you are probably making the majority of decisions related to health, medical care, finances, housing, social engagement, recreation, nutrition… the list goes on.
If you try to focus on all of that at once, it might seem impossible to accomplish anything. That may lead to your feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Instead, break caregiving goals or needs into smaller tasks.
Caregivers and older adults with chronic conditions are encouraged to develop Action Steps, which are specific, straightforward and practical ways to address specific needs. They also include a target date for completion and may identify other family or friends who can help. These Action Steps feed into a larger Action Plan, which can change as needs change.
By breaking down all the caregiving-related things you need to accomplish into simple steps, you can reduce stress, save time and delegate tasks to other family members, friends and professionals who can help. This added help will both increase the support available to you, and ultimately lead to better care for your loved one.
Jeanne Hoban is marketing communications director for Cleveland-based Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Among its many services, the non-profit agency provides BRI Care Consultation, a telephone- and email-based care-coaching program for caregivers and people who live with chronic health conditions.
