When Providing Care for Seniors Is Hindered by Family Dynamics

Perhaps your family rivals those on Walton’s Mountain in its unconditional love, unwavering patience with one another, and determination to stick together through thick and thin. But if your family is similar to most, there’s undoubtedly some level of dysfunction, some leftover mulish sibling rivalry, as well as a bit of lingering competitiveness to be Mom’s and Dad’s favorite. As the need to provide care for seniors increases, whether for elderly parents or other older family members, old childhood hurts can resurface and family dynamics can be exacerbated.

Clinical psychologist Craig Grether shares, “When there is a family crisis with a parent, the adult children, no matter how educated they are, no matter how successful, with a variety of life experiences, they regress to the same dynamic of whatever was going on when they were 7, 8, 10, 12 years old.”

The fact is, roughly 40% of family care providers are experiencing major family disputes, and 65% believe care needs end up being unequally balanced between siblings. Trouble generally arises as soon as there’s a notion that one member of the family isn’t pulling his or her weight with regards to meeting the caregiving requirements of an elderly loved one – reigniting any earlier family dynamic issues that until now may seem to have been hidden. With family caregivers vulnerable to such concerns as depression, alcohol or other substance abuse, sleeping disorders, and career challenges, it’s understandable how quickly tempers can surface between family members.

How can members of the family band together and develop a plan of care that’s fair to all? The conclusion: sometimes it’s just not attainable, and it’s important to come to a place of acceptance that your younger sister might not be equipped, for whatever reason, to manage attending to Mom at the level you’d like. Letting go of preconceived expectations and any feelings of resentment is essential to gaining peace for yourself and to be able to focus on providing the very best care for your elderly loved one.

Regardless of your family’s dynamics, Sheila’s Angels In Home Care of Houston can be on hand to supply a steady, trustworthy resource to make certain that all care requirements are completely met at all times. We assist families to help fill in the gaps in caregiving, enabling them to focus on spending quality time with each other and alleviating the worries often associated with providing care for seniors. Contact us at (281) 480-4846 to find out more.