Prepare To Be A Caregiver With These 5 Simple Steps3 Minutes read

Caring is a challenging job. A detailed caregiving plan certainly goes a long way. Before you prepare to care, there are a few things that need to be figured out. Before you lay down a caregiving plan for your parent, grandparent, close friend or relative, it is important that you cover all bases. It is essential for you to assess the care recipient’s needs. Talk to the person in question and then make a caregiving plan. This article will help you discuss and create a caregiving plan with 5 simple steps:

Step 1 - Prepare to Talk with The Care Recipient

Clearly, it is difficult to discuss with your parent what kind of care and support they will need in their old age or if they are diagnosed with a chronic disease. So, before you make a caregiving plan for your loved one, ask yourself these questions:

• Who from your family or friends can start the conversation with your parent?
• What are your biggest concerns and priorities?
• How can you make them believe this conversation is important?
• How much emotional and financial support are you willing or able to provide to your care recipient?
• What do you want to achieve with this conversation?
• What can be the most difficult point of the conversation?
• How would your parent and family members react to the discussion?

Step 2 - Form A Family Team

It is impossible to create an effective family caregiving plan without the involvement of your family members and care recipient. Detailed discussions with everyone can help you arrive at a sustainable caregiving plan. It will enable you to list down everyone who you think can be a part of the team. Involve those who are willing to play an active role in caregiving.

Step 3 - Assess Needs of The Care Recipient

While planning a team or discussing peculiarities, do not forget to consider the views of the most important person—the person at the receiving end of the care. The care recipient plays the most critical role in the discussion. He/she should be involved and agree to each step of the planning process. Figure out your parent’s priorities like where they want to live and what do they expect. Get a handle of your parent’s personal information and find out more about the many local resources available in your city to support caregivers. Put all useful information at one central place so that it is easy to locate when the time arrives.

Step 4 - Make A Caregiving Plan

Once you have made your team, assessed your care recipient’s needs, and gathered all information you can to make informed decisions, it is time to sit down with your team and create a plan. Know that, even when plans can  change in the future if you have got your basics covered, you have a solid foundation to build on. After building the plan, have someone from the team dictate and write a summary of what has been decided. This is important to keep record and make sure that everyone has agreed.

Step 5 - Take Action When The Time Comes

It is important to have a plan ready and act when the situation arises. All we want is happiness, good health, and love for the care recipient. When time strikes, it is important to haveeverything ready. Remember, the plan can be hard to implement and you will require dedication and complete support to execute it.

Also, the plan may change as you go along. That is completely normal. What is important is that you understand your care recipient’s needs and wishes, and help him/her get the most affection and love from his/her own family.

Reference: https://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/foundation/aa66r2_care.pdf

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