Caring for a senior loved one is difficult enough without underlying family problems. However, as an elderly parent begins to need more support from family members, conflict among adult siblings often increases, sometimes triggering long-dormant sibling rivalry. If differences are handled well, the experience of caregiving can bring relatives closer. Here are the most common family conflicts that arise over senior care.
Disagreements Over the Senior’s Condition
It’s incredibly common for family members to disagree about their aging loved one’s health and how to provide care. A primary caregiver who spends a great deal of time with a senior loved one may understand his or her health conditions and reduced capabilities, but siblings may disagree. For example, some family members may dispute a dementia diagnosis or argue Mom is “just a little forgetful.”
If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one, Home Care Phoenix is available around the clock if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Assisting Hands Home Care, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
Financial Conflicts
Finances can cause strife in any relationship, and this is certainly true when it comes to senior care. Families often disagree about how home care should be paid for, where their loved ones should live, and who should manage their finances. It’s not uncommon for the primary caregiver in charge of the senior’s finances to feel pressure from other family members.
Arguments about Fairness
Sometimes one sibling ends up shouldering a greater burden of a loved one’s care, which can foster resentment. Siblings who live far away may take on less responsibility, while the closest family members are left to caregiving. When the primary caregiver asks for help from other family members, they may not appreciate the difficulty of the situation or how much work one sibling has been left with.
A professional home caregiver can be a wonderful source of support for you and your family. If you’re the primary family caregiver for an elderly loved one and need additional assistance providing high-quality senior care, Assisting Hands Home Care can help. We are a leading home care agency committed to changing the way seniors age.
Siblings Excluded from Decisions
While sometimes one sibling is forced to handle a greater share of responsibilities, it’s also possible for one sibling to take over the role of caregiving and leave other family members in the dark. In some cases, this goes to such an extreme that other family members are left out of decisions or even given limited access to their loved ones.
End-of-Life Decisions
No one enjoys making end-of-life decisions for a loved one, and this is made even more difficult when family members disagree. One sibling may want a parent to go into hospice, while another sibling may argue for all forms of life-prolonging care.
Though you may be researching multiple agencies that provide in-home care, Phoenix, AZ, Assisting Hands Home Care has much to offer your family and your elderly loved one. We are leaders in the senior home care industry, offering hourly and around-the-clock assistance from reliable, experienced caregivers. Trust Assisting Hands Home Care to help your loved one enjoy a happier and healthier life in the golden years. For reliable in-home care services, contact us at 602-847-6549.
