Making Difficult Decisions

Senior care requires care givers to make difficult decisions. In Chapel Hill, home care providers face the task of making these decisions each and every day, weighing the wishes of their elderly loved ones against other factors to choose the best options for their families. Because of this responsibility, senior care provision can be a difficult task. Marlene, from Chapel Hill, faced this task with her own parents, Bill and Jenny.

Bill and Jenny are independent, active seniors who only accepted home care because Marlene pushed for it. Concerned for their safety, Marlene knew that having a senior care professional around would help her parents maintain their independence without compromising their health. The difficulty of this decision, and the opposition she first faced, made Marlene realize that she and her parents should prepare for other large decisions that may arise.

Preparing for life-changing decisions when providing senior care can be a challenge, but home care providers can work with seniors to make decisions that reflect their own desires. Here are some ways that senior care givers can plan for such decisions:

• Have an open, honest conversation with your elderly loved one. Understanding your senior loved one's wishes pertaining to these decisions, such as home care, independence, and medical care, will help you in making the best choices possible.
• Do your research. Making a decision without really understanding your options can seem impossible. Explain the available options to seniors and keep their opinions in mind when coming to a decision.
• Maintain open lines of communication with doctors and, if necessary, lawyers. Your senior's doctor may not be able to talk about specific aspects of your elderly loved one's health, due to HIPAA regulations, but they can inform you about healthcare options. Likewise, your family's lawyer can help answer any legal questions you may have.

Bill and Jenny don't want to put their daughter in an uncomfortable position, so they have decided to speak to her about their wishes regarding medical and senior care. Marlene knows that, by preparing for these decisions with her parents, she can truly help them live as they wish.