Questions to Ask Your Parent during Long Term Care Planning Month
Caregiver in Greenburgh NY
Being a family caregiver is a wonderful way for you to give back to your aging parent and show them how much you love them. Through this role you are able to give them the personalized care, 
support, and encouragement that they need in order to live the highest quality of life possible as they age in place. October is Long Term Care Planning Month. This is the perfect opportunity for you to take a step back and evaluate your care efforts in a way that will help you to make meaningful changes to your care efforts so you can feel confident you are giving your parent the care that is right for them.
During Long Term Care Planning Month, sit down with your elderly parent and ask them questions that will help to illuminate how they feel about their current care, the future of their care, and their life throughout their later years. Let these questions get you started:
- How do you feel about your current care routine? Let your parent tell you about your current care efforts and how they feel that they are benefitting from them. Encourage them to tell you how they think that you are doing as a caregiver and how their life has been improved during this care journey.
- What do you think that we should change? Even highly effective care plans can benefit from meaningful changes. Let your parent tell you things that they think could be done better, or that they do not think that they need. You might find that your parent wants to be more independent or has come up with ways that they can manage more of their own needs. This will not only keep their mind sharper and more engaged, but can reduce your stress and free up more time for you.
- How do you feel about sibling involvement? If you have siblings, ask your parent how they feel about the way that those siblings engage with your care efforts, and if they think that they could do more. Find out if your parent would be more comfortable with a certain sibling handling specific care tasks, or if they would prefer that you take on more tasks that they already do.
- How do you feel about a care provider? It is likely that your parent will have increasing needs as they age in place. This means that their care needs will increase and you may not be able to fulfill them as successfully. Ask how your parent feels about the possibility of introducing a home care provider into your care routine to boost your care efforts. If they are comfortable with that, consider starting this care relationship sooner rather than later. Having this care provider in the home with your loved one when their needs are still mild to moderate gives them the opportunity to get accustomed to this care provider and to establish a routine that encourages an active, engaged, and fulfilling quality of life throughout their later years.
If you or an aging loved one are looking for caregiver services in Greenburgh, NY, call the friendly staff at The Perfect Home Care at (855) 855-5728. Call today!
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