I recently had the chance to sit down with four siblings to have an honest discussion about how difficult it has become to care for their mom. Everyone had a chance to speak and share their experiences. Much of the conversation focused on how much caregiving was impacting their own lives, wondering what could they do to help ease the burden of caregiving in the future.
I’ve had this same type of conversation with so many of my client’s children—as well as my own siblings as we take care of our mother, too. Here are some helpful tips on how to have a family meeting about caregiving.
Who should attend and where do we meet?
Contact each family member individually and clearly state the reason for the meeting. You may not get everyone to attend, and that’s okay. If there is someone who wants to attend, but lives too far away, you can place them on speaker phone or use FaceTime or Skype to connect a visual call.
Setting an agenda.
The goal of your meeting is most likely to make a few decisions—or at least to set a path—for the future. Have each attendee bring a few topics to the meeting to discuss. Having Severino Health Advisors as a neutral third party attendant will help you stay on task as well.
Challenges of the meeting.
Give everyone a chance to talk without interruption. Make sure you respect one another even if you may disagree with what they’re feeling. Remember that the purpose is not to completely solve all of your problems.
Getting outside help.
Calling in a neutral third party person can be helpful when issues arise. As AgingCare.com explains, “Although these “facilitators” can’t magically solve all the problems, they can provide a neutral, objective and less emotional opinion when the family is divided on a big issue.” Severino Health Advisors is available as your neutral member for family discussions regarding the future of a loved one! Contact us today.
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