When you realize that a parent or family member can no longer live on their own and requires constant care, it can be an overwhelming blow for a family.
You sit down together and decide where the family member will live and who will look after them.
On average, an elderly parent or family member will require care for between four to five years.
This is a long time to commit to giving up your day job and offering ongoing care to the patient.
Many families need to work in order to provide their lived one with the care they need, which means using caregiver placement services to find the best person to spend the days with their family member attending to their needs.
It's always a good idea to speak directly with family members early on.
The earlier you get the uncomfortable discussion out of the way of how they want to be cared for later on, the better.
It will also give you a good indication on how to proceed when the time comes.
Most people don't want to see themselves in a home, they may consider retirement if it's a more casual setting where they can be surrounded by friend, though many will choose to stay in their own homes, which isn't always the most practical solution.
Remember when the time comes your family member is not going to give up their independence easily.
This means it may take time and patience to get them to come and live with you, it may take even more time to get them to give up their car keys because it isn't safe for them to drive anymore.
Patience is key when you start planning on caring for your elderly family member, this is why a majority of the time, families turn to caregiver placement services to find a professional with knowledge and experience to do this for you, this means you can continue to work and concentrate on your family without too much disruption.
Bear in mind that while you have all these great plans to care for your loved one, there is a chance that you are not the best person to handle this responsibility.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't get your loved one to move in with you and your family or support them, but they may require specialized care, they may require round the clock care and if you're already trying to juggle work and home, you may need a professional from a caregiver placement service to give you a hand.
Ensure as your family member starts to get older that you attend all their medical appointments with them.
This is important, because with age comes a number of illnesses and diseases which they may not share with you.
This can be anything from Alzheimer's disease to cancer.
Knowing the health of your family member can ensure you get the right type of care to make their live comfortable moving forward.
Expect to argue with your siblings.
This often happens when a parent requires ongoing care, whether you call the caregiver placement services or choose to take on the full responsibility yourself.
There will always be one family member who will take on more of the burden than the other, this can lead to serious rifts in the family.
This is something that should be discussed in detail before you take your family member into your home, laying down who will be responsible for what to reduce the risk of arguments at a later stage.
The most important thing that you can benefit should you choose to use caregiver placement services, is time for yourself.