Sitting down with your aging parents to discuss difficult legal topics can be uncomfortable, but it is a vital part of providing effective elderly care. Legal matters are simply a part of aging, and that you might not want to face them, or discuss them with your aging parents, it is critical that you are upfront and open about the very beginning of your caregiver relationship so that the appropriate arrangements can be put into place. Being an elderly care provider for an aging loved one is tremendous responsibility, and being prepared to handle it even during uncomfortable moment will make a major difference not only and how you perceive your caregiver relationship, but also in the ongoing quality of life of your aging loved one.

Even though difficult conversations are an ongoing part of elderly care, this does not mean that they need to be painful or terribly awkward. Even the most difficult of topics can be made easier go into the conversation open and prepared. Here are some tips for discussing legal matters with your aging parents in a way that will get things done without straining your relationship:

• Start your legal discussions early. Don’t wait until your loved ones are suffering from such serious cognitive issues that these legal matters are urgent. Instead, begin discussing legal matters wallet your parents are still capable of being a part of the conversation and making their wishes known.
• Bring the family together to make the discussion more cooperative. If you have siblings, they should be involved in these discussions as well. Remember that you are not in this elderly care situation alone, and the opinions of other people involved are important. However, if your parents expressed desire for only you to be involved in their legal matters, you must respect and find a way to diplomatically release your siblings from responsibility and involvement in the issues.
• Don’t beat around the bush. Explain the goal of the conversation from the very beginning, and make sure your parents understand the importance and gravity of the topics that you are discussing help them to understand that you want their wishes respected, and that you feel it is important that these decisions be made as soon as possible.
• Respect your parents’ freedom, independence and personal thoughts. Know that they still want to be in control of their own lives, and their legal decisions should be theirs to make, not yours of course, if they are incapable of making these decisions completely on their own, you should contribute, but make sure they understand that they are involved.
• Prepare yourself for decisions that you disagree with. Your parents may have completely different views on certain legal matters than you do, and you need to be ready to respect these different views and fulfill them to your parents’ wishes. Matters such as Do Not Resuscitate orders and how their final estate will be divided may bring up conflict, but remember that these are their decisions, and it is your responsibility as their elderly care provider to help them get these wishes put into place, and then to fulfill them later.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elderly care services in Memorial, TX contact the caregivers at At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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